A Boy Called Christmas, a Sky Original

To be released in cinemas and on Sky Cinema this Christmas across the UK & Ireland

Sky today announces that A Boy Called Christmas will join their 2021 original film line-up. Acquired from STUDIOCANAL, exclusively for the UK & Ireland, the film – based on the bestselling book by Matt Haig - will be released in cinemas and on Sky Cinema this Christmas.

Co-written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Gil Kenan (Monster House), A Boy Called Christmas boasts an all-star cast including Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, Harry Potter), Jim Broadbent (Paddington 1 & 2, The Iron Lady), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Paddington 1 & 2), Toby Jones (Infamous, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, Wonder Woman 1984), Zoe Colletti (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), Stephen Merchant (Fighting with my Family, Logan) and introduces newcomer Henry Lawfull.

The origin story of Father Christmas is re-imagined in Gil Kenan’s live action A Boy Called Christmas.  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…

Sarah Wright, Director of Sky Cinema and Acquisitions at Sky UK & Ireland, comments: “A Boy Called Christmas is the perfect gift for Sky Cinema customers and cinemagoers this Christmas.  I cannot wait to share this extraordinary film featuring the best of British talent, as we hope to celebrate Christmas together with all the family this year.”

A Boy Called Christmas is produced by STUDIOCANAL with Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin of BAFTA and Academy Award® winning Blueprint Pictures and with the Academy Award® winning team at Framestore (Christopher Robin, Fantastic Beasts, Paddington 1 & 2, The Golden Compass) providing the visual effects.

A Boy Called Christmas, a Sky Original will be released in cinemas and on Sky Cinema this Christmas in the UK & Ireland.  The film will also be available on streaming service NOW TV via the Sky Cinema Pass. Sky Cinema is the home of Sky Original films, with brand new films launching every month alongside an unrivalled range of the latest cinema releases and on demand library.

For further information please contact Mark Pitchford at mark.pitchford@sky.uk.

About Sky

Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Across six countries, we connect our 24 million customers to the best entertainment, sports, news, arts and to our own award-winning original content.

Our technology, including the market leading Sky Q, connects people to everything they love - TV, music, games, online video, fitness and educational content, all in one place, easy. Our streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

Building on the success of Sky Originals like Chernobyl, I Hate Suzie and Brassic, we are doubling our investment in original content by 2024 through Sky Studios. Sky News provides impartial and trustworthy journalism for free, while Sky Arts, the UK’s only dedicated free-to-air arts channel, makes the arts accessible for everyone. Our new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, is expected to create over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK over the first five years alone.

We believe that we can be a force for good in the communities in which we operate. We’re committed to being Europe’s first net zero carbon entertainment company by 2030. We take pride in our approach to diversity and inclusion: we’ve been recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our commitment to diversity and we’ve put in place a new programme to invest £30million across our markets over the next three years to tackle racial injustice.

About NOW TV

NOW TV is a leading UK streaming service, giving you the best TV, box sets, movies, sports and kids entertainment whenever, and wherever, you want it. Pick from the range of content passes including Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, Kids and reality TV with hayu.

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NOW TV is the home of the best new and original British comedies, Oscar, BAFTA, and Emmy award winning dramas, Sky Originals and movies. NOW TV customers can enjoy over 30 new movies every month and Sky Atlantic shows, without a contract.

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