“Love Actually” director has a brand new festive movie.
Best known for creating “Love Actually”, Richard Curtis is returning to Christmas for a brand new film on Netflix.
When is ‘That Christmas’ out on Netflix?
“That Christmas” is his first ever animation, and it will be available to stream from December 6th.
The 90 minute adventure is based on Curtis’ own trilogy of children’s books. Curtis co-wrote the script with Peter Souter.
What is ‘That Christmas’ about?
That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! Just like Love Actually, this movie intertwines several stories into one story.
“This movie tells the story of a troubled Christmas, forcing a group of kids and parents to accept that you can’t always plan life,” director Simon Otto told Netflix.
“Life is chaotic, relationships are messy, and traditions sometimes must be re-evaluated. And regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope that audiences will laugh at the family dynamics and identify with the universal truth behind most traditions: It’s ultimately not about the rules and the expectations we put on these events — we tend to forget that what really matters is that we can be together with our loved ones.”
What has Richard Curtis said about it?
Speaking to the BBC, the film-maker has described working on animation as “a huge treat and revelation for me”, adding that the “whole process is so different from the other movies I’ve worked on”.
Speaking to US Weekly, he addressed criticism for the lack of diversity in Love Actually. “He said “You know, sometimes I’ve done things in my past films and I look back at them and think, ‘Oh, I could have and should have done better there. I think, you know, it’s really important to me to reflect the world we live in and the complexity and the diversity of it.”
Who is the cast in ‘That Christmas’?
The film features a stellar voice-cast, led by Brian Cox!
Brian Cox as Santa Claus
Fiona Shaw as Ms. Trapper
Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams
Lolly Adefope as Mrs. McNutt
Alex Macqueen as Mr. Forrest
Katherine Parkinson as Mrs. Forrest
Sindhu Vee as Mrs. Mulji
India Brown as Bernadette
Zazie Hayhurst as Sam
Sienna Sayer as Charlie
Jack Wisniewski as Danny
Rosie Cavaliero as Mrs. Beccles
Paul Kaye as Yirrell
Guz Khan as Dasher
Andy Nyman as Mr. Beccles
Kuhu Agarwal as Nisha
Bronte Smith as Eve
Freddie Spry as Teddy
Ava Talbot as Scarlett
Bill Nighy as Bill
Rhys Darby as Mr. McNutt
Does it have a good soundtrack?
Oh yes! It includes a brand new original song from Ed Sheeran!
“It was just sketches and voices, but it blew me away,” Sheeran told Netflix.
“So emotional, yet so heartwarmingly funny, like all Richard Curtis movies. I find since having kids, there’s a real lack of great animated children’s Christmas movies, so I thought this was such an amazing thing to make and put into the world. The scene that we wrote this song for is so heartbreaking, but so real for many people at Christmas — spending it without the ones they love, for so many reasons. I got to work with my older brother on this, which is such a rarity and a gift to work so closely with my only sibling. It felt so good to create something my children would watch, with their uncle, based in the country they live in. This is going to become a holiday staple, at least in our household. Hope everyone loves it and enjoys the song — we had such a great time creating it.”
What do the reviews say about ‘That Christmas’?
They love it! Hollywood Reporter say “it’s poised to become a new Holiday classic”, Deadline say “That Christmas proves that he’s the best at what he’s good at, and it’s nice to have him around” and Variety agree – “Every season brings dozens of new Christmas offerings, most of which prove instantly forgettable. This one’s a keeper, joining “Klaus” as a Netflix toon you could actually enjoy watching more than once”.
Is there a trailer for ‘That Christmas’?
Yep. Enjoy…
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