Netflix Casts Succession Star as Santa Claus for New Christmas Movie

Succession alum Brian Cox is going from the boardroom to a chimney. Earlier this week, Netflix announced the full voice cast for That Christmas, a new animated holiday movie that will premiere on their platform later this year. The cast of That Christmas is led by Cox, who is best known for playing Logan Roy on HBO's Succession, as Santa Claus. The cast also includes Fiona Shaw as Ms. Trapper, Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams, and Bill Nighy as Bill, the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas. The film is just one of several animated ventures Netflix has had on its slate, including the recent hits like Nimona and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

The cast of That Christmas also includes Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman, Kuhu Agarwal, Bronte Smith, Freddie Spry, Ava Talbot, and Rhys Darby. Netflix also released two first-look photos from the film, which show a glimpse at Cox's version of Santa Claus.

What Is That Christmas About?

That Christmas is based on the trilogy of children's books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday). It follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! 

"Becoming an animator had been on my Christmas wish list ever since I was a child and watching animated movies was one of the biggest Christmas traditions in my family," director Simon Otto said in a statement. "But never could I have imagined that one day I would get the chance to direct a Christmas film written by the one-and-only Richard Curtis and collaborate with some of the most iconic voice talents. Watching this cast bring life to these heart-warmingly funny tales and infuse them with the magic of animation is truly a dream come true. I hope That Christmas becomes a cherished tradition for audiences worldwide."

"This has been the most amazing adventure, my first animated film," Curtis, who co-wrote and executive produced the film, added. It's been especially exciting to see the whole world I imagined come to life beyond my wildest dreams – and populated by a dream bunch of actors, their wonderful voices turned into such rich and funny characters."

What do you think of the first details surrounding That Christmas? Are you excited to see Brian Cox voice Santa Claus? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

As mentioned above, That Christmas will debut exclusively on Netflix later this year.