Richard Curtis’s New Animated Film Draws Inspiration from Suffolk

The latest film from a director known for his Christmas-themed cinematic works draws its inspiration from the community spirit and relationships found in locations across Suffolk. Titled *That Christmas*, the film is set in the fictional coastal town of Wellington-on-Sea, which takes its inspiration from the Suffolk towns of Walberswick and Southwold, along with “a dab of Halesworth.” Richard Curtis, the writer, who resides on the east coast, stated that he adapted the screenplay from three children’s books, aiming to produce a “Love Actually for kids.” He commented, “I hope it both has the joys of Santa, [a] fairly traditional character – but also it will feel modern too.” *That Christmas* depicts several families preparing for Christmas Day, only for their meticulously planned festivities to be disrupted by a blizzard that strikes the town, separating parents from their children. This animated feature marks a new venture for Curtis. He explained, “I’ve tended to focus on boyfriends and girlfriends yet the major interest in my life has been my kids for the past 20 years and then also where we live on the east coast of Suffolk and the idea of community and friendship and siblings.” Despite his extensive familiarity with the Suffolk coast, Curtis expressed his hope that viewers will identify with the film’s depicted locations and customs. He shared, “I love writing about things that I know about and I spent Christmas in Walberswick for the last 25 years and so you’ll spot the lighthouse and Little Gems, the reed beds, the sea, the beach huts and all of that.” The voice cast for the film includes Jodie Whittaker, Fiona Shaw, Brian Cox portraying Santa Claus, and *Love Actually* actor Bill Nighy, who Curtis noted possesses a “very convincing Suffolk accent.” The music video accompanying Ed Sheeran’s latest song for the film, “Under The Tree,” was shot on Southwold seafront and features *Bridgerton* actress Claudia Jessie. Curtis stated that “five years of love” were dedicated to the production of the animated movie. He reflected, “I have lots of very happy memories of Christmas when I was young in lots of different countries we used to live across the world, so I suppose I’m just trying to pay it forward… I hope when people watch this they will hug each other a bit harder at the end.”