Brian Cox to Voice Santa Claus in Netflix Animated Feature That Christmas

August 2024 · 4 minute read

Brian Cox is set to voice Santa Claus in Netflix‘s upcoming festive animated feature “That Christmas.”

Due later this year, the film marks the directorial debut of animation veteran Simon Otto (“Love, Death & Robots,” “How to Train Your Dragon) and comes from Locksmith Animation (“Ron’s Gone Wrong”). “That Christmas” is adapted from the children’s book series by BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated writer and director Richard Curtis (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill”).

Alongside Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy have also joined the film as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas. Other voice stars include 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, Ava Talbot and Rhys Darby.

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“Becoming an animator had been on my Christmas wish list ever since I was a child and watching animated movies was one of the biggest Christmas traditions in my family. But never could I have imagined that one day I would get the chance to direct a Christmas film written by the one-and-only Richard Curtis and collaborate with some of the most iconic voice talents,” Otto said in a statement. “Watching this cast bring life to these heartwarmingly funny tales and infuse them with the magic of animation is truly a dream come true. I hope ‘That Christmas’ becomes a cherished tradition for audiences worldwide.”

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Added Curtis: “This has been the most amazing adventure, my first animated film. It’s been especially exciting to see the whole world I imagined come to life beyond my wildest dreams — and populated by a dream bunch of actors, their wonderful voices turned into such rich and funny characters.”

“That Christmas” is being produced by Locksmith Animation with animation production from DNEG. Nicole P. Hearon and Adam Tandy produce while exec producers include Mary Coleman, Natalie Fischer, Julie Lockhart, Elisabeth Murdoch, Bonnie Arnold, Lara Breay, Sarah Smith, Rebecca Cobb, Colin Hopkins and Curtis.

The feature has also been scored by Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated composer John Powell (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “Shrek”).

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