Disney Branded Television has announced An Almost Christmas Story, a new animated short film for Disney+ directed by David Lowery and produced by five-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón. The short film, which is rated PG for mild peril, will premiere this fall.
An Almost Christmas Story follows Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost young girl named Luna.
Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents. An Almost Christmas Story is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl, Rocky – short for Rockefeller, found and rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.
The voice cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon, newcomer Estella Madrigal as Luna, Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, Mamoudou Athie as Pelly, Alex Ross Perry as Dave The Dog, Gianna Joseph as Peaky, and Phil Rosenthal as Punt, with Natasha Lyonne as Pat and John C. Reilly as The Folk Singer who performs four songs in the short, two of which are original songs.
An Almost Christmas Story is the third and final installment in Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection. His first short, Le Pupille, earned an Oscars nomination in 2022, and last year’s The Shepherd was shortlisted, both of which were live-action.
Produced by Disney Branded Television and Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj, in association with Titmouse and Maere Studios, and with animation services by 88 Pictures, the celebrated creative team includes Lowery (director, screenplay and producer), Cuarón (producer and story), Gabriela Rodríguez (producer), Jack Thorne (story and screenplay), Nicholas Ashe Bateman (creative designer) and Daniel Hart (composer).
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to provide the latest news on streaming, movies, and TV shows. He previously created the websites ComingSoon, SuperHeroHype, and ShockTillYouDrop.