UK filmmaker Richard Curtis makes first foray into animation

Two decades after scoring a surprise holiday season global hit with "Love Actually," British filmmaker Richard Curtis is bidding to repeat the trick with his first foray into animation.

The 68-year-old writer and director has co-adapted his trilogy of children's books and commandeered longtime friend Ed Sheeran into contributing an original song to bring "That Christmas" to the big and small screens.

Featuring the voices of Brian Cox ("Succession"), Bill Nighy ("Love Actually"), and a host of other acting talent, it hits select UK cinemas this week before its worldwide release on Netflix on December 4.

Curtis, behind box office successes like "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill", before 2003's "Love Actually", said his first venture into animated movies was full of surprises, particularly the time-consuming nature of the genre.

"I've been shocked by the amount of time (it takes)," he told AFP as the film premiered at the London Film Festival last month. There were some silver linings, however.

"My theory is that people working in animation are much nicer than people working in regular movies because they know they've got to get on for five years.

"You really do get married. It's not a one-night stand -- it's not a sexy holiday in Ibiza! It's a long journey together. So I really enjoy it."

(FILES) Co-writer and executive producer Richard Curtis poses on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the BFI London Film Festival’s Headline Gala for "That Christmas" at the Royal Festival Hall during the 2024 BFI London Film Festival in London on October 19, 2024.Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

'Edgy'

"That Christmas" is a series of entwined tales about a town of friends and relatives during a troubled festive period. It is a family-friendly offering with a grown-up contemporary edge.

It features plenty of jokes and references to everything from Jesus being a hipster to abortion and climate change.

"If love were easy, your father wouldn't have run off with his 25-year-old dental nurse," one of the leading animated characters, Mrs. Williams, tells her schoolboy son, Danny.

Curtis and co-screenwriter Peter Souter were confident the format allowed them to be "modern and sometimes edgy and satirical without crossing any big red lines."

(FILES) Actor Fiona Shaw (L) and co-writer and Executive Producer Richard Curtis pose on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the BFI London Film Festival’s Headline Gala for "That Christmas" at the Royal Festival Hall, during the 2024 BFI London Film Festival in London, on October 19, 2024. Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

"I've always thought that you shouldn't, as it were, dumb down if you're dealing with kids," he explained.

Veteran stage and screen actress Fiona Shaw was equally enthused about contributing to a film that was not just aimed at adults.

"I really love a young audience because they watch with enthusiasm, accuracy, and memory. They remember things," she said.

"So I'm hoping this audience will enjoy Ms. Trapper as much as I enjoyed playing it."

Suffolk story

Simon Otto, known for his character animation work in the How to Train Your Dragon films, makes his feature directorial debut on the project, which he says breaks new ground in the genre.

"In animation, it's very uncommon to tell multi-thread storylines -- it's usually about a single hero on a fantastical journey," he explained.

"Bringing the charm and timelessness of animation to Richard's real-life stories that have universal appeal and wish-fulfillment felt like a really interesting match to everyone."

Curtis revealed that Sheeran wrote and recorded an original song for the film Under the Tree, mainly because the story is set in the southeast English county of Suffolk, where both live.

"Ed is, as it were, the epitome of Suffolk," the filmmaker explained, joking that the star musician's involvement could also be due to him looking "like an animated character."

"I went round, showed him the film, and he said: 'Oh, I'd love to write a song for this'. And he did it fast, and it's a wonderful song," said Curtis. "We're really lucky."

Otto noted that the track "really became the film's heart" as it features a pivotal moment.

"It's building towards this moment," he said. "And he could be one of our characters."