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The majority of classic Christmas movies are American, but Britain has also produced a few holiday heartwarmers over the years. The most obvious example is Love Actually, which often features in conversations about the very best Christmas movies, but there are many more British Christmas movies, even if they don't all have big international audiences. Many of these Christmas movies feature famous faces from Hollywood blockbusters.

The worst Christmas movies are often accused of cheap sentimentality, but this is something that British movies tend to avoid, simply because there isn't the same abundance of Christmas content each year. The few that have any kind of lasting relevance tend to offer something different to American Christmas movies, either because they focus on British holiday traditions or because they have quirky British humor.

That Christmas (2024) Netflix's Christmas Hit Could Have Staying Power

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Netflix's charming new Christmas movie, That Christmas, is now streaming and features a star-studded cast. One of several new Christmas movies in 2024, That Christmas tells the story of the fictional town, Wellington-on-Sea, which faces an unprecedented snowstorm just before Christmas Day. Not only does this pose significant difficulties for Santa Claus as he attempts to deliver the presents, but it also means that many of the children in town end up separated from their parents on Christmas Eve.

That Christmas was co-written by Richard Curtis, who also wrote and directed the Christmas classic Love Actually, one of the best Christmas movies for rom-com fans. That Christmas marks Curtis' very first animated feature film, and the movie's cast reflects a level of star power reminiscent of the cast of Love Actually. Here's every major character in That Christmas and who plays them.

Name

Character

Brian Cox

Santa Claus

Fiona Shaw

Ms.

Richard Curtis has carved out a space for himself as one of the greatest British screenwriters. His skills include layering multiple storylines, quirky ensembles, heartwarming romances, and sentimental events such as weddings and Christmas. His resume includes the likes of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, and Bridget Jones. So, when I heard the screenwriter was delving into animation, I was instantly excited.

That Christmas, directed by Simon Otto, weaves a series of interconnected stories exploring themes of love, loneliness, and family. The narrative unfolds with Santa Claus making a significant error, amidst a backdrop of numerous turkeys, capturing the essence of holiday spirit and relationships.

Director Simon OttoRelease Date December 4, 2024Writers Peter Souter, Richard CurtisCast Ava Talbot, Freddie Spry, Bronte Smith, Kuhu Agarwal, Jack Wisniewski, Sienna Sayer, Zazie Hayhurst, India Brown, Sindhu Vee, Rosie Cavaliero, Alex Macqueen, Bill Nighy, Lolly Adefope, Guz Khan, Katherine Parkinson, Paul Kaye, Jodie Whittaker,...

Netflix’s fifth and final original Christmas movie for 2024 is now streaming, and this one is animated. But you’re still going to recognize a whole lot of the cast.

Written and directed by Richard Curtis, who brought fans “Love, Actually,” the film centers on a group of people in a small town in the UK, getting ready to celebrate Christmas. Like “Love, Actually,” the story is told via vignettes, jumping around between different groups and pairings.

And as you meet those groups and pairings, you’re definitely going to recognize some of those voices. Here’s who we have.

Netflix/Getty Images Santa (Brian Cox)

The big man himself is voiced by Brian Cox, who you likely know from his time on “Succession,” or films including “X2: X-Men United,” “Troy,” “Red,” “Zodiac” and “Trick ‘r Treat,” among many others.

Netflix/Getty Images Lighthouse Bill (Bill Nighy)

Bill uses his lighthouse to help both Santa,...

Not even mentioning his association with Blackadder and Mr. Bean, Richard Curtis has written some of the most enduring British rom-coms of the last 30 years, ranging from Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill to Love Actually and Bridget Jones's Diary. That these abilities with slapstick stupidity, breezy wordplay,...

Given the low bar for most contemporary Christmas movies – does someone wear a plaid shirt? That’ll do – and the desperate need for material that isn’t totally hackneyed, one can see the appeal of adapting some children’s books by Richard ‘Love Actually’ Curtis. The resulting British animation is a little disjointed and meandering at times, but it’s also genuinely touching and, thank Santa, better than all those formulaic romcoms.

The material is drawn from three storybooks Curtis wrote with illustrator Rebecca Cobb: ‘That Christmas’, ‘The Empty Stocking’ and ‘Snow Day’. We open with Brian Cox’s Santa Claus struggling to deliver presents through inclement weather, before flashing back to a few days earlier when things started to get difficult. There’s unrequited love at a school play, absent parents stuck in the snow, one good twin concerned that her naughty twin sister won’t get any presents,...

Richard Curtis returns to festive filmmaking with That Christmas, which streams on Netflix next month. Here’s the trailer.

Love it or loathe it, there is no denying that Richard Curtis’ Love Actually is a modern Christmas favourite for many. With its saccharine stories of love, lust and, in the case of Andrew Lincoln’s character – let’s be honest – stalking, the film has indelibly inked itself into the fabric of the festive season. It’s almost become a tradition to run an article contributing to the Love Actually debate – and who knows, one year we might even get around to it (we won’t – Ed).

Curtis returned to Christmas films last year with Genie, starring Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Essiedu, a big budget remake of his terrific 1991 television film Bernard And The Genie, which starred Alan Cumming, Lenny Henry and Rowan Atkinson – both films are available to stream on Sky Cinema.

Brian Cox’s Santa Claus is coming to town in the first trailer for Netflix’s animated holiday comedy That Christmas.

In the film’s first trailer, the Succession actor is sporting Kris Kringle’s standard uniform — a beard, red suit with a white fur trim and boots — as he delivers presents to children on the busiest night of the year, Christmas Eve.

That Christmas is based on a trilogy of children’s books by award-winning writer-director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually and Yesterday) and marks his first leap into animation. The film features entwined stories about family and friends, love and loneliness and Santa Claus making a big mistake.

In her review, The Hollywood Reporter‘s Lovia Gyarkye praised the “charming animation” while adding that the movie “slyly avoids the usual mawkishness by grounding its whimsical story in the real and prickly emotions of life.

"Everything was about to get a lot more complicated..."...

Brian Cox is coming down the chimney.

In the first trailer for Netflix’s animated holiday comedy “That Christmas,” the “Succession” alum suits up as Santa Claus as he tells the story of one of the most challenging nights in his career.

Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis, “That Christmas” follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love, loneliness and Santa Claus making a big mistake — not to mention an enormous number of turkeys.

The ensemble cast includes Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman, Kuhu Agarwal, Bronte Smith, Freddie Spry and Ava Talbot with Bill Nighy and Rhys Darby.

Curtis makes his first foray into animation as the Locksmith Animation comedy’s writer and executive producer.

The trailer for Netflix‘s upcoming Christmas family film has arrived. That Christmas is adapted from the successful series of children’s books by Love Actually writer Richard Curtis and the voice cast is packed to the brim with names like Brian Cox [Santa], Fiona Shaw [Ms Trapper], Jodie Whittaker [Mrs Williams], Lolly Adefope [Mrs McNutt], Alex Macqueen [Mr Forrest], Katherine Parkinson [Mrs Forrest], Sindhu Vee [Mrs Mulji], India Brown [Bernadette], Zazie Hayhurst [Sam], Sienna Sayer [Charlie], Jack Wisniewski [Danny], Rosie Cavaliero [Mrs Beccles], Paul Kaye [Yirrell], Guz Khan [Dasher], Andy Nyman [Mr Beccles], Kuhu Agarwal [Nisha], Bronte Smith [Eve], Freddie Spry [Teddy], Ava Talbot [Scarlett], with Bill Nighy [Bill] and Rhys Darby [Mr McNutt].

The official synopsis reads,

“Based on the successful series of children’s books by BAFTA winner and Academy Award® nominee Richard Curtis, Locksmith Animation’s heartwarming film marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness,...

Netflix revealed the official That Christmas trailer, which comes from Locksmith Animation (Ron’s Gone Wrong) and director Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). Debuting on December 4, the film has been rated PG for thematic elements, some language, and rude humor.

That Christmas is an adaptation of the beloved children’s book series written by acclaimed BAFTA Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated writer and director Richard Curtis.

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! A film of firsts, it marks Curtis’s first animation project and the directorial debut of animation veteran Otto.

The film stars Brian Cox as Santa, Fiona Shaw (Ms. Trapper), Jodie Whittaker (Mrs. Williams), and Bill Nighy (Bill) as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas.

Netflix has debuted the trailer for the upcoming festive animation from Richard Curtis ‘That Christmas.’

The movie follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!

Based on the successful series of children’s books by BAFTA winner and Academy Award® nominee Richard Curtis, Locksmith Animation’s heartwarming film marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy).

The voice cast includes Brian Cox [Santa], Fiona Shaw [Ms Trapper], Jodie Whittaker [Mrs Williams], Lolly Adefope [Mrs McNutt], Alex Macqueen [Mr Forrest], Katherine Parkinson [Mrs Forrest], Sindhu Vee [Mrs Mulji], India Brown [Bernadette], Zazie Hayhurst [Sam], Sienna Sayer [Charlie], Jack Wisniewski [Danny], Rosie Cavaliero [Mrs Beccles], Paul Kaye [Yirrell], Guz Khan [Dasher], Andy Nyman [Mr Beccles], Kuhu Agarwal [Nisha], Bronte Smith [Eve], Freddie Spry [Teddy], Ava Talbot [Scarlett], with Bill Nighy [Bill] and Rhys Darby [Mr McNutt].

Also in trailers – Trailer drops for part...

Leave it to rom-com staple Richard Curtis to transform Logan Roy into Santa Claus.

Curtis is turning to the world of animation with Netflix film “That Christmas,” which stars “Succession” alum Brian Cox as St. Nick. “Love Actually” and “About Time” writer/director Curtis adapted the script from his own bestselling children’s book series; Curtis and Peter Souter share screenplay credit. Veteran character animator and story artist Simon Otto (“How to Train Your Dragon”) makes his directorial debut with the film.

“That Christmas” follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making one big mistake, according to the official synopsis. Oh, and there is also “an enormous number of turkeys!”

The ensemble cast includes Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Rhys Darby, Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan,...

There are two kinds of people in the world: People who love “Love Actually” and people who want to give those other people such a pinch. Richard Curtis’ all-star Christmas classic (you can add quotes to “classic” if you want to) quickly became a perennial yuletide favorite for its treacly melodrama and/or its melodramatic treacle. Like many Christmas movies, it’s sappy to a laughable extreme. But also like many Christmas movies, that’s why people love it. Or hate it.

“Love Actually” is such a ubiquitous holiday staple now that even characters in Richard Curtis movies have to watch it. The new animated Netflix movie “That Christmas,” directed by Simon Otto, is based on three children’s books penned by Curtis — “That Christmas,” “Snow Day” and “The Empty Stocking” — which now take place at the same time, in the same town. It’s an idea that would be...

Tales of love, unrequited or otherwise, interwoven over the festive season, laden with pop songs and narrated by one of the biggest celebrities in show business, That Christmas is best viewed as a kid-friendly attempt by rom-com auteur Richard Curtis to atone for his long-standing seasonal hit Love Actually. Beautifully rendered by Simon Otto, head of character animation for the well-respected How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, it might be too busy, storywise, for younger audiences, and even rather scary towards the end, but the writer-director’s genius for dialogue is firmly on display here (an especially timorous character is afraid of infinity because “there’s just so much of it”). Adults will roll their eyes at the fart jokes; but then, kids will cringe at the sound of Ed Sheeran and Coldplay.

Gathered up from Curtis’ short-story book of the same name, That Christmas takes place in a diverse...

That Christmas begins with a familiar dilemma: It’s Christmas Eve and Santa must navigate treacherous weather while delivering his highly anticipated gifts.

We meet the benevolent legend, voiced here by Brian Cox, as he rides through a nasty winter storm of strong winds and low visibility. A terrible illness has left him with only one reindeer (Guz Khan) to pull the sleigh. Tensions between the two are so high that Santa, at one point, threatens to get a self-driving vehicle next winter. But while the odds are not in our hero’s favor, the happiness of children around the world — and especially those in the fictional English coastal town in which the narrative is set — depends on him overcoming them.

Premiering at the BFI London Film Festival, That Christmas is a charming animation from Locksmith (Ron’s Gone Wrong) that’s well-poised to become a classic. It can be...

I confess I had no idea that Richard Curtis — “Love Actually” and “About Time” filmmaker, “Bridget Jones” and “Notting Hill” screenwriter — had written a trio of quite charming kids’ books about Christmas. It shouldn’t have been a surprise: The man loves the holiday and he definitely loves glossy stories about human connection, and what better outlet for those impulses than some charmingly illustrated storybooks for the younger set? Leave it to Curtis (and Netflix) to cleverly one-up that idea: What better outlet for those impulses than a charmingly animated holiday film for the entire family?

For his first animated outing — directed by Simon Otto and co-written by Curtis and Peter Souter — the rom-com king has turned his trio of books into a single, delightful holiday feature that offers something for everyone, especially the people who get mushy about glossy stories about human connection. While Curtis’ books — “That Christmas,” “Snow Day,...

Richard Curtis returns to his festive roots in an endearingly saccharine animated movie. Here’s our That Christmas review.

The comparisons between Curtis’ latest festive flick and his first are too easy to draw – so I’m going to draw them. With an anthology-ish structure including multiple references to Love Actually, it’s not difficult to see where the inspiration to turn the national treasure’s three Christmas picture-books into a single film came from.

And why not? Curtis’ 2003 directorial outing might have since become the Christmas classic to rule all Christmas classics, but a 15-rating and a healthy smattering of rude bits hardly make it ideal family viewing. Why not launch a spiritual sequel onto Netflix, quickly becoming the home of the modern gooey Christmas movie?

Based on an amalgamation of Curtis and illustrator Rebecca Cobb’s The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas, the story follows three...

All right, Virginia … Whereas so many Yuletide toons hinge on whether kids believe in Santa Claus, Netflix charmer “That Christmas” makes the case that it’s more important for kids to believe in themselves.

Adapted from a trio of picture books by “Love Actually” scribe Richard Curtis, the feel-good family film is chock-full of kids second-guessing their worth — and not just in the naughty-or-nice department either. A handful of key characters doubt whether they’re deserving of love, on account of absentee parents or pushback from authority figures. Leave it to Curtis (and co-writer Peter Souter) to deliver some affirmational proof that each of them matters — with an assist from old St. Nick, who pops in to deliver some strategically timed presents while most of the grown-ups are Awol.

Set in the cute English town of Wellington-on-Sea, the story zooms in on a small coastal community to observe a phenomenon...