Two decades after Love Actually became a fixture of winter movie nights, Richard Curtis is returning to the Christmas spirit. Based on Curtis’ own trilogy of children’s books, That Christmas tells a series of animated holiday stories that are sure to ease you into the season of giving. Curtis co-wrote the script with Peter Souter, and the voice cast is positively delectable. 

“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 reevaluated. 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.”

Read on for more information about That Christmas, and keep an ear out for the sound of sleigh bells in the air.

When will That Christmas be on Netflix?

That Christmas is now streaming on Netflix. 

What is That Christmas about?

Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved award-winning writer-director Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday), That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, Santa Claus making a big mistake — and it also features an enormous number of turkeys! This heartwarming comedy from Locksmith Animation marks Curtis’ first foray into animation, serving as the film’s writer and executive producer, and it’s also the feature directorial debut of renowned animation veteran Otto (Love, Death & Robots, How to Train Your Dragon films). Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen films) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers.

“I hope it’s going to be a film that makes people happy — perhaps more than once,” Curtis said. “I hope it’ll remind people of the joy and complexity of Christmas, and some of the joys and comedy and heartbreak of childhood. And then there’s a very special thing for me, that the film takes place in a town very much like my own in Suffolk. I hope they’ll love the sense of the place — and go away with a new, delightful, simple English world in their heads.”

Can I see a trailer for That Christmas?

Yes! Check out the trailer for the new film above. You can catch a glimpse of Cox’s Santa, his long-suffering reindeer Dasher (Guz Khan), and the blizzard that just might ruin Christmas. “We all have a Christmas memory where expectations were high and then things inevitably went utterly wrong,” director Otto said. “We all have our personal That Christmas. But in our story, it’s not just one thing that goes wrong for one person. It’s three intertwined stories that are all heading to a dramatic crescendo one memorable Christmas Eve.”

Who’s in the cast of That Christmas?

That Christmas features an impressive list of celebrated thespians and voice actors, including: 

• 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

Otto and Curtis originally envisioned their Santa as American, but soon decided that didn’t feel quite right. That led them to Cox, fresh off of his role as a very un-Santa-like figure on HBO’s Succession. “He’s a Father Christmas who’s just there to do his job — though this year he becomes more involved than he intended to be,” Cox told Netflix. Santa also narrates the film, another decision that was only solidified after Cox came aboard. “It was a nice surprise to find myself as the narrator,” he said. “I didn’t expect that at all. But I think Richard really liked what I did and thought it was a natural route that Santa becomes a storyteller as well.”

Another familiar voice audiences will hear in the film is frequent Curtis collaborator Bill Nighy, who plays the town’s lighthouse keeper. “My association with Richard has been one of the most significant relationships in my life,” said Nighy. “Love, Actually changed everything in terms of my career.” It didn’t hurt that he got to play a role he’d always dreamed of; Nighy said he’s “always wanted to be a lighthouse keeper.”

Will That Christmas feature an original song by Ed Sheeran?

Yes! Sheeran has written and recorded an original song for the animated feature, titled “Under the Tree.” The singer was moved to collaborate with longtime friend Curtis after the latter approached him with a rough version of That Christmas. 

“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.”