Apple Reunites With Jony Ive To Produce Christmas Animated Short Film

Christmas is fast approaching, with just two months before the holiday season is upon us. This year, to ring in the festivities, Apple is taking a stab at cozy Christmas movies with the imminent release of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
 
The short film is set to be produced by J.J. Abrams and will star Idris Elba as the fox, Tom Hollander as the mole, and Gabriel Byrne as the horse. The animation is based on a children’s book by Charlie Mackesy of the same name. 

Apple’s previous chief design officer, Jony Ive, served as executive producer to the project. The designer left the company in 2019, after over two decades of spearheading some of its most compelling products, and was fully relieved of his collaborative relationship with the tech giant earlier this year. 

The story centers on a little kid who is assisted in finding his place in the world by a motley crew of animals, and the group forms a special relationship. It tells the age-old tale of “home being wherever the heart is” while taking place in a wintery setting with adorable animals. 

In a statement, Mackesy tells Variety that he never dreamed the book would be picked up, let alone be premiered during Christmas. 
 
Apple previously released a film called Luck earlier this year, which was created in 3D-style animation. This movie, however, will most likely take on the classic stylings of 2D work instead, following the artistry in the book. 
 
Peter Baynton, who previously directed The Tiger Who Came To Tea, will be leading the short. Netflix’s Love, Death, and Robots producer Cara Speller and Woody Harrelson are also working on the project. 
 
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse will be released on Apple TV+ on December 25 with a special premiere on the BBC for UK viewers.
 
 
 
[via Variety and AppleInsider, cover image via Apple]