Emilia Clarke, Gerard Butler & Simone Ashley Lead Voice Cast for Animated Christmas Musical

Variety has reported that a new animated musical based on two classic stories is in the works.

The feature film will be a mashup of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland stories and Clement Clarke Moore's poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Fittingly titled The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland, it will feature a voice cast led by Emilia Clarke, Gerard Butler, and Simone Ashley.

Peter Baynton (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse), will direct the movie from a screenplay by Sara Daddy, which in turn is based on the bestselling children's book by Carys Bexington. Guy Chambers and lyricist Amy Wadge are set to pen the original songs. No date has been announced, but the film will be a co-production between Universal Pictures Content Group and Lupus Films.

According to the synopsis, “’The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ is full of fun and festive twists. This time, it’s St Nick’s turn for an adventure down the rabbit hole. There he meets the Mad Hatter, recast as a high-fashion, reindeer-loving tea party host; the White Rabbit, an endearingly scatty and forgetful character; the Queen of Hearts, a Scrooge-esque tinsel-hater, her antagonistic sidekick, the Cheshire Cat and Alice herself, whose kindness helps St. Nick save Christmas.”

Known for her role in Games of Thrones, Clarke appeared on the West End in a 2020 production of The Seagull. Butler previously appeared in the 2004 adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera as the title character. Simone Ashley has most recently been seen in the hit show Bridgerton, and also appeared in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.