The trailer for 'That Christmas' has just been released

Love Actually director Richard Curtis is back with a Feel Good animated movie this festive season.

Two decades on from one of our favourite Christmas films of all time, Richard Curtis is back in the festive spirit with a new film, That Christmas, which is based on a trio of children's books he's written.

“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 re-evaluated. 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.”

Ed Sheeran is also getting into the festive spirit, having written a song for the film, Under The Tree, which will be released alongside the film. 

Watch the trailer for That Christmas above!

In a statement earlier this year, Ed said he has "been mates with Richard Curtis for years, and we’ve done a load of fun work for charity, and then both were heavily involved in the movie Yesterday.

"He came to me two years ago to play me the rough of That Christmas. It was just sketches and voices, but it blew me away. 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."

He continued: "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," Ed explained. "It felt so good to create something my children would watch, with their uncle, based in the country they live in.

That Christmas is perfect for the whole family and it will be available to watch on Netflix New Zealand from December 4, 2024.