‘Disney+ Unwraps Trailer & First-Look Images for ‘An Almost Christmas Story’

Disney Branded Television today announced that An Almost Christmas Story, directed by David Lowery (Peter Pan & Wendy, The Green Knight, Pete’s Dragon [2016]) and produced by five-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón, will premiere November 15 on Disney+.

This is the third and final installment in Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection for Disney+ and the only animated chapter. His first short, Le Pupille, earned an Oscar nomination in 2022, and last year’s The Shepherd was shortlisted, both in the Live Action Short Film category.

An Almost Christmas Story is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl rescued from the New York City’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020. The short’s trailer reveals 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 little 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 voice cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon, newcomer Estella Madrigal as Luna, Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, Mamoudou Athie as Pelly, Alex Ross Perry as Dave The Dog, Gianna Joseph as Peaky  and Phil Rosenthal as Punt, with Natasha Lyonne as Pat and John C. Reilly as The Folk Singer, who performs four songs in the short, two of which are original songs.

Produced by Disney Branded Television and Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj, in association with Titmouse and Maere Studios, and with animation services by 88 Pictures, the short’s creative team includes Lowery (director, screenplay and producer), Cuarón (producer and story), Gabriela Rodríguez (producer), Jack Thorne (story and screenplay), Nicholas Ashe Bateman (creative design supervisor) and Daniel Hart (composer).

The animated short is completing a film festival circuit including Hamptons International Film Festival, Santa Fe International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Morelia International Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, Animation Is Film, São Paulo International Film Festival, SPARK Animation Festival, Animation Magazine‘s World Animation Summit and Bogotá Short Film Festival (BogoShorts).