Candy Cane Lane: The Real-Life Christmas Decoration 'Rivalry' That Inspired the Eddie Murphy Movie (Exclusive)

Screenwriter Kelly Younger tells PEOPLE his dad "overdecorated [their] house within an inch of its life" as a resident living near the real Candy Cane Lane

While Candy Cane Lane features a fantastical story, it stems from a real-life Christmas-decorating phenomenon that began more than 70 years ago.

PEOPLE has an exclusive behind-the-scenes video exploring the backstory behind the holiday comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Chris, a man "on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest," according to a synopsis. He finds himself in quite the yuletide pickle after making a wish that brings some unwanted consequences.

The film is directed by Reginald Hudlin and written by Kelly Younger, with a cast including Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede and Chris Redd.

Younger tells PEOPLE the story is based on the real Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo, California, where his parents moved "many years ago." Now, "they live at the top of the street that leads into the actual Candy Cane Lane."

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Related: Eddie Murphy Is on a Mission for Christmas Cheer in Candy Cane Lane First Look (Exclusive)

The writer says his father, a truck driver, "was really a woodworker, an artist," who got in on the craze, just like Murphy's character Chris does in the movie.

"My whole childhood was him building things in the garage," Younger says. "So when they moved to El Segundo, he got right in on the action and overdecorated the house within an inch of its life and caused quite a stir and created quite the reputation. So it really is based on a real family in a real neighborhood that really does this."

In the featurette, Younger explains the tradition began in the late 1940s, and that later, his parents' house "got featured in the local paper."

"There was a little rivalry. That's what gave me the initial idea for this story," he adds.

"It wasn't just buying store-bought stuff — it was really expressing himself, and that joy in his heart was spreading through the whole neighborhood," says Hudlin, 61.

Younger says the opening night of the real Candy Cane Lane typically includes a live band, fire trucks and crowds of people dressed in their holiday best.

Not only does Santa Claus make an appearance (riding on top of a fire truck), but he helps light the street using a little Christmas magic.

"He'll walk in front of the fire truck and then Santa walks along the lane and he points to houses. And when he points, it magically lights the house up," Younger says.

The "El Segundo Santa," Tom Lindsay, then tells Younger he's been playing Santa for the event for over 30 years — and he even appears as Santa in the movie.

"Has there ever been a mishap where a house didn't turn on when you pointed at it?" Younger asks Lindsay, who replies with a laugh, "Almost every year!"

Related: Eddie Murphy Makes a Deal with an Elf for the 'Best Christmas Ever' in Candy Cane Lane Trailer

Younger says telling a story "that every family could relate to" was important, but he also wanted to "[tie] it to a personal story in a real location."

"Not every Christmas movie needs to be set in a place where it snows. I mean, I grew up in Southern California. We only had sand," he recalls. "We would take our boogie boards and ride down the dunes around Christmas, pretending that we were on sleighs."

"So by setting it in a unique place that's very original and unexpected, I think that's what's going to really set this one apart," Younger adds.

Candy Cane Lane is on Prime Video Friday.

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