Apple Original Films announced today that the animated short film The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, based on the internationally best-selling book by Charlie Mackesy, will be coming to Apple TV+ on Christmas Day.
“The journey of making the film of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse with my incredibly gifted animation team has been a magical one,” says Mackesy. “I never dreamt it would happen — but it’s so moving to think the story will be watched at Christmas. I really hope it brings a bit of joy, laughter and comfort.”
The film, featuring Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations brought to life with hand-drawn animation, stars BAFTA Award winner Tom Hollander (The Night Manager) as The Mole, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Idris Elba (Luther) as The Fox, Golden Globe Award winner Gabriel Byrne (All Things Bright and Beautiful) as The Horse and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as The Boy.
Directed by Peter Baynton (The Tiger Who Came To Tea) and Mackesy, the film is adapted from the original book in collaboration with Jon Croker (Paddington 2).
Logline: A story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heart-warming, classically animated film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. The poignant and heartfelt journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse travelling together in the boy’s search for home.
Matthew Freud presents a Charlie Mackesy film, produced by Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Cara Speller (Love, Death + Robots; Pear Cider and Cigarettes; Rocket & Groot) of NoneMore Productions and Emmy Award winner J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella of Bad Robot Productions.
Executive producers are Jony Ive and Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). Original score by composer Isobel Waller-Bridge, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conducted by Geoff Alexander.
The film is presented in partnership with the BBC, who will premiere The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse in the U.K., with the film available on Apple TV+ outside of the U.K., this Christmas.
