Ed Sheeran Records Original Song for Netflix’s Richard Curtis Film ‘That Christmas’ – Global Bulletin
SHEERAN’S SEASONAL SONG
Ed Sheeran has written and recorded “Under The Tree,” an original song for Locksmith Animation’s upcoming CG animated feature “That Christmas.” The film, set to debut on Netflix on Dec. 6, is directed by Simon Otto and written by Richard Curtis and Peter Souter.
The star-studded voice cast includes Brian Cox as Santa, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, and Bill Nighy. The story unfolds in a seaside town where Christmas takes an unexpected turn. Based on Curtis’ children’s book trilogy, “That Christmas” marks his first venture into animation. The film is produced by Nicole P. Hearon and Adam Tandy, with executive producers including Curtis, Mary Coleman, Natalie Fischer, and Julie Lockhart.
More from Variety
Sheeran said: “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. 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, it felt so good to create something my children would watch, with their uncle, based in the country they live in. I find it mad that there isn’t more animated Christmas films for kids, but this is going to become a holiday staple, at least in our household.”
‘RED EYE’ REACHES RECORD REGIONS
Sony Pictures Television has inked distribution deals for the action thriller “Red Eye” across North America, EMEA and APAC. The Bad Wolf production, starring Jing Lusi and Richard Armitage, will land in over 120 territories worldwide. Set across an overnight London-Beijing flight and various locales, the six-episode series intertwines the stories of a detective, a journalist and an MI5 agent embroiled in a murder conspiracy.
New licensees include Paramount+ (Canada), France Televisions, Netflix (Germany), and Max/HBO Max (Central and Eastern Europe). The series has also secured spots on AXN Asia, TVING (Korea), Stan (Australia) and Warner Bros. Discovery (New Zealand). Originally commissioned by ITV, “Red Eye” became ITVX’s top series in April and ITV’s second-highest-rated new drama of the year, attracting over eight million viewers.
Created by Peter A. Dowling and directed by Kieron Hawkes, “Red Eye” is produced by Bad Wolf, with Julie Gardner, Lachlan MacKinnon and Dowling executive producing.
TOTS TACKLE TASKS
TVO‘s “Old Enough!”, an eight-episode series following Canadian children ages 3-6 as they embark on their first independent errands, is set to stream starting Sept. 8. The show is narrated by comedy veteran Colin Mochrie. Based on Nippon TV‘s Japanese format, this Blue Ant Studios production marks the first North American adaptation. The series captures children’s adventures as they navigate everyday tasks, offering insights into parenting styles and child development.
Matt Hornburg, Mark Bishop, and Donna Luke executive produce for Blue Ant Studios, with Mitch Burman as series producer. Natasha Negrea leads programming for TVO, while Kirsten Hurd and Alexandra Roberts serve as commissioning editors. The show, produced with Canada Media Fund participation and in association with Rogers Sports & Media, will be available on TVO Docs and TVOkids YouTube channels and Smart TV apps.
‘SONG STEALER’ SCALES SUCCESS
Music competition show “Song Stealer” from Korea’s MBC has struck a chord with audiences, wrapping up its first season to critical acclaim. The format pits cover artists against original performers, with studio audiences voting on their preferred rendition.
Created by Jang Harin, the show won MBC’s ‘Best Format Idea’ award and debuted with two pilot episodes during the Lunar New Year in February. Following strong viewer response, including over 10 million online views, it secured a 12-episode run from May to July. Jang emphasized the show’s focus on musical appreciation rather than competition, noting increased streams for original versions following each episode. The format has already been optioned across Australia, Germany, France, Belgium and Italy.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.