A new animated short produced by acclaimed Spanish director Alfonso Cuarón will premiere on Disney + in November. Titled An Almost Christmas Story, the short is directed by David Lowery, and is inspired by the true story of a tiny owl named Rocky, who was found and rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020
The official synopsis reads: “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.”
The holiday tale’s voice cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon, Estella Madrigal as Luna, Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, Mamoudou Athie as Pelly, Alex Ross Perry as Dave The Dog, Gianna Joseph as Peaky, Phil Rosenthal as Punt, with Natasha Lyonne as Pat and John C. Reilly as The Folk Singer, who performs four songs (two of them original numbers) in the short.
Lowery’s previous credits include A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Peter Pan & Wendy, The Old Mand & The Gun, and National Board of Review winner The Green Knight.
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.
An Almost Christmas Story is produced by Disney Branded Television and Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj, in association with Titmouse and Maere Studios; animation services by 88 Pictures. The 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).
