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Brian Cox to voice Santa Claus in upcoming festive animation

Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy will also voice characters in That Christmas.

Brian Cox will voice Santa Claus in the animated adaptation of Richard Curtis’s children’s book series.

Netflix unveiled the star-studded voice cast of its upcoming festive comedy That Christmas on Wednesday.

Alongside the Succession star, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy will voice the characters Ms. Trapper, Mrs. Williams and Bill, the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas.

The voice cast is rounded out by the likes of Lolly Adefope, Katherine Parkinson, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman and Rhys Darby, among others.

That Christmas is an adaptation of the beloved children’s book trilogy written by Curtis, best known for films such as Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually. He wrote the screenplay with Peter Souter and served as an executive producer.

“This has been the most amazing adventure, my first animated film,” he said in a statement. “It’s been especially exciting to see the whole world I imagined come to life beyond my wildest dreams – and populated by a dream bunch of actors, their wonderful voices turned into such rich and funny characters.”

According to a synopsis, That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake.

It will mark the feature directorial debut of renowned animation veteran Simon Otto, who said, “Watching this cast bring life to these heart-warmingly funny tales and infuse them with the magic of animation is truly a dream come true. I hope That Christmas becomes a cherished tradition for audiences worldwide.”

That Christmas will debut on Netflix later this year.

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