Writer Richard Curtis reveals inspiration behind Netflix’s That Christmas, his new animated holiday film, in this interview.
That Christmas follows a series of stories about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake. Taking place in a seaside town during a holiday blizzard, the community comes together to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
We spoke with writer Richard Curtis – who has also penned Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, & Love Actually – about his new animated film. He reveals the personal inspirations behind it, as well as what makes this movie stand out amongst other holiday films.
Richard Curtis Reveals That Christmas Inspiration & More
Tessa Smith: I really related to the sisters who are very different from each other. I’d like to know where that idea came from.
Richard Curtis: Well, it comes from it comes from two generations. I had two sisters who were older than me very different only a year apart. so it’s them. And then my brother has twin daughters, very different, only a second apart. So there’s a bit of lived experience in there.
Tessa Smith: What about this movie would you say makes it stand out amongst other Christmas and holiday films?
Richard Curtis: I think that one of the joys is making an animated movie with all the joy, beauty, glory, and color, but is about quite intimate things. I think I’m quite pleased to have made an animated film that’s about family stuff that you would recognize, and about kids that feel like the kids you either have or the child that you were. I love the fact that we’ve made a movie that feels, to me, a little bit like my favorite animated film, which was the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I used to watch when I was a kid so I hope that people will get all the sort of big thrills of the beauty of an animated film with quite a personal little story.
Be sure to watch our full interview with Richard Curtis to learn more about the making of That Christmas, as well as his favorite holiday traditions.
About That Christmas
Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard 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, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention 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 also the feature directorial debut of renowned animation veteran Simon Otto (Love, Death & Robots, How to Train Your Dragon films).
Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers.
That Christmas comes to Netflix on December 4th.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.