Just in time for holiday baking season, Melissa McCarthy is bringing her comedic talents to the world of competitive cooking in her new/old film, Cook Off! The movie is a mockumentary-style look behind the scenes of the fictional million-dollar Van Rookle Farms Cooking Contest. By the looks of her character’s culinary skills, McCarthy is poised to deliver another funny crowdpleaser. 

McCarthy is joined in the film by her Bridesmaids co-star Wendi McLendon-Covey and also Niecy Nash. (McLendon-Covey and Nash co-starred together on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!) Also in the film are McCarthy’s husband, Ben Falcone, and Night Court alum Markie Post.

Cook Off! is actually not a new film, technically speaking. The movie was made in 2007, before McCarthy struck gold in Bridesmaids, and ended up not getting released (for reasons unknown) until now. Lionsgate acquired the rights to release the film, which received some re-editing and tinkering along the way.

Melissa McCarthy: “The Joy of Acting”

Since her breakout—and Oscar-nominated—role in Bridesmaids as the groom’s dedicated federal agent sister Megan, Melissa McCarthy has taken playing funny, wild, and hysterical characters to another level. Her most recent incarnation, a spoof of former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, won McCarthy her second Emmy earlier this month for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. 

Last year, McCarthy spoke to The Guardian about her interest in playing offbeat and quirky characters: “People say to me, ‘These characters are crazy’, and I’m like, ‘Are they?’ Because I’ve seen three people in [the] Rite Aid drugstore act like that. I think when a female character acts more defiant, it’s seen as a little more crazy. There are women in the world like this; we’re just not used to seeing them portrayed.” 

In Cook Off! as she tackles a sweet potato concoction like no other, Melissa McCarthy will be sharing with the world another singular—and very funny—character. Check out the hilarious trailer for Cook Off! below, and catch it in theaters nationwide beginning November 17.