Disney has released a trailer for the upcoming animated holiday special, “An Almost Christmas Story”, which is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl rescued from the New York City’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

The film tells the story of 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.

Check out the trailer below:

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, World Animation Summit and Bogotá Short Film Festival – BOGOSHORTS.

The talented 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, 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 celebrated creative team includes David 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).

“An Almost Christmas Story” is the third and final installment in Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection for Disney+. 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” will be coming to Disney+ on November 15th 2024.

Roger’s Take: This looks like it’s going to be a lovely short for the holiday season. I love that some stop-motion animation style has been used for this story. I really enjoyed last year’s “The Shepherd,” so I’m hoping this hits the same note.

Are you looking forward to watching “An Almost Christmas Story”? Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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