‘That Christmas’: Richard Curtis on His Joy of Writing a Family Film and That ‘Love Actually’ Easter Egg

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As a gamer and a father of two, I can’t help but appreciate the heartwarming efforts of Richard Curtis in creating a merry Christmas with his latest animated film, “That Christmas.” Having spent countless hours huddled around the television during festive seasons, watching everything from gritty murder mysteries to classic holiday films, it’s refreshing to see a change of pace that focuses on family and love.

Acclaimed filmmaker Richard Curtis, known for movies like “Notting Hill,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” and “Love Actually,” is set to receive attention during the holiday season on Netflix. He serves as co-writer and executive producer of Locksmith Animation’s “That Christmas,” an adaptation of a series of his children’s books, which premiered on the streaming platform this past Saturday.

Featuring Brian Cox portraying Santa Claus, joined by the vocal talents of Fiona Shaw, Rhys Darby, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy, this film was helmed by Simon Otto, a previous creative director at DreamWorks Animation (known for How to Train Your Dragon series and Love, Death & Robots). The movie narrates the tale of certain residents in Wellington-on-Sea, a fictitious town in the U.K., whose plans are disrupted by the arrival of the greatest snowstorm ever recorded, even affecting Santa’s own schedule.

For Curtis, working on the animated film for several years marked a change of pace. “It was lovely writing a film about children and families,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I think in my career, I have had a tendency to sometimes take a long time to catch up. I was still writing falling in love films when I’d already been with my wife for 10 years.” After a chuckle, he adds about That Christmas: “And this is me at last catching up with the fact that children have been a main element of my life for the last 20 years.”

What type of shows or movies does the well-known author and movie creator typically enjoy watching with his family during holidays?

For about ten years now, there’s been a pattern in England where multi-murder shows are broadcast on Christmas Day. This includes series like Miss Marple. On such occasions, I join my family to watch these programs, and we often find ourselves saying, “This is quite depressing.” Or, “Our beloved parent has just been killed off.” So, it’s refreshing to be a part of a cheerful Christmas instead of a murderous one, as depicted in That Christmas.

There is a reference to family holiday traditions — and his own work — in the film that made Curtis laugh. “That was one of the funniest moments in the whole production,” he recalls. “There’s a scene where the kids are talking about how they don’t particularly enjoy some of the Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas walk. And one of the things was they have to watch is the boring Christmas movie. I was assuming that when they were cutting to the boring Christmas movie, it would be a black-and-white version of Miracle on 34th Street.”

He found himself taken aback: “One day I settled down, only to discover that instead of a dull Christmas film, what was playing on the screen was Love Actually.

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That Christmas is now streaming on Netflix.

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2024-12-05 19:25