While it is still unclear what roles the three actresses will take on, they will be working under the direction of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gil Kenan in the film adaptation of Matt Haig's 2015 novel.
- April 16, 2019
AceShowbiz - Kristen Wiig, Sally Hawkins and Maggie Smith have all signed on to star in "A Boy Called Christmas".
Back in 2016, executives at StudioCanal and Blueprint Pictures announced they had tapped writer/director Ol Parker to adapt Matt Haig's acclaimed 2015 novel, which follows an 11-year-old boy named Nikolas, nicknamed Christmas, who must travel to the North Pole in order to save his father.
Now, film bosses have unveiled the all-star cast, with Kristen Wiig, Sally Hawkins, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, and Toby Jones all nabbing roles. In addition, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michiel Huisman, Henry Lawfull, Rune Temte, and Indica Watson will appear, with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gil Kenan to direct. It remains unclear which roles each actor will take on.
Along with StudioCanal executives, Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin will produce, while the team at Framestore will provide visual effects.
Principal photography is now underway in Lapland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and London, though a potential release date has not yet been set.
"The origin story of Father Christmas is re-imagined in Gil Kenan's live-action 'A Boy Called Christmas'," the official synopsis reads. "An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical, comic and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible."
StudioCanal will release the film in the U.K, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, and China, while Netflix has the rights for the rest of the world.
