Ed Sheeran writes song for ‘heartbreaking’ scene in Richard Curtis’s animated film ‘That Christmas’

Sheeran said he felt there had been a lack of ‘great animated Christmas movies’ until seeing an early preview of Curtis’s film

Ed Sheeran has written and recorded an original song for Richard Curtis’s forthcoming animated feature, That Christmas.

Written by Curtis and Peter Souter, and directed by Simon Otto, That Christmas is based on Curtis’s popular trilogy of children’s books. It will follow a series of “entwined tales” about family and friends in the build-up to Christmas Day.

Sheeran’s track, “Under the Tree”, will feature in the film and is scheduled for release on Friday 6 December.

The film will star Brian Cox as the voice of Santa, along with the ensemble voice cast of Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, and Bill Nighy.

Sheeran, 33, said in a statement: “I’ve been mates with Richard Curtis for years, and we’ve done a load of fun work for charity, and then both were heavily involved in the movie Yesterday.

“He came to me two years ago to play me the rough of That Christmas. It was just sketches and voices, but it blew me away. So emotional, yet so heartwarmingly funny, like all Richard Curtis movies.”

A still from Richard Curtis’s new Christmas film, ‘That Christmas' (Courtesy of Locksmith Animation)

The British singer-songwriter, who has two children with his wife, Cherry Seaborn, said he’d felt there was lack of good animated Christmas movies, until seeing the early preview of Curtis’s film.

“I thought this was such an amazing thing to make and put into the world,” he said. “The scene that we wrote this song for is so heartbreaking, but so real for many people at Christmas spending it without the ones they love, for so many reasons.”

He continued: “I got to work with my older brother on this which is such a rarity and a gift to work so closely with my only sibling, it felt so good to create something my children would watch, with their uncle, based in the country they live in.

“I find it mad that there isn’t more animated Christmas films for kids, but this is going to become a holiday staple, at least in our household. Hope everyone loves it, and enjoys the song, we had such a great time creating it.”

(Annie Liebowitz/Press)

Curtis said he was “thrilled” to have Sheeran’s “beautiful song” in his movie.

“It’s a film set in Suffolk... Ed lives in and loves Suffolk and completely understood the pitch and tone of what we were trying to do,” the director said.

“We’ve been friends for many years and, especially now that he’s a husband and a father, it’s really lovely to have him play such a key part in this film about love, children and family.”

He added: “And, of course, even if he wasn’t a friend and didn’t love Suffolk, how marvellous to have a wonderful new song by one of the greatest British songwriters EVER.”

That Christmas is scheduled for a global release on Netflix on 6 December 2024.