Apple Lands J.J. Abrams-Produced Animated Short ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,’ Starring Idris Elba (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Apple Original Films has acquired the animated short film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.” After becoming the first streaming service to win the Academy Award for best picture for “CODA,” the streaming platform has its eyes set on animated shorts.

Based on the internationally bestselling book of the same name by celebrated author Charlie Mackesy, the film will be coming to Apple TV+ on Dec.

25. Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne and Jude Coward Nicoll comprise the voice cast. The story follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole (Hollander), a fox (Elba) and a horse (Bryne) traveling together in the boy’s search for home. “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,” Mackesy said in a statement to Variety. “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.” Cara Speller, a producer on the short alongside Matthew Freud, adds, “Bringing together some of the finest artists and animators from around the world to present Charlie’s beautiful characters has proved a true highlight during the last few difficult years.