A Boy Called Christmas Trailer: Maggie Smith Stars In Netflix's Latest Holiday Adventure

As I sit typing this article, it's a beautiful autumn afternoon and I have a cheesy horror movie from the '80s playing in the background to get into the season. So, it does pain me a little bit to deliver Christmas news when we aren't even a full week into October. Alas, here we are.

Netflix announced its upcoming film "A Boy Called Christmas" today with a teaser trailer to get everyone hyped for the holiday season. Did it work? Not for me, but it may work for some of you. Here's the official synopsis:

"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. Adapted from the bestselling book by Matt Haig."

Intrigued? In need of an early dose of holiday cheer? Then check out the trailer for "A Boy Called Christmas" below.

"A Boy Called Christmas" is directed by Gil Kenan, who also co-wrote the movie with Ol Parker. Y'all may remember Kenan from his directorial work on "Monster House" and the 2015 remake of "Poltergeist." It's interesting that he is switching it up by tackling a Christmas film, but I am starting to get more into the idea.

I love that Maggie Smith is the film's narrator of sorts, and it's always great to see Kristen Wiig in more whimsical roles. Henry Lawfull (who previously appeared in the 2018 TV miniseries adaptation of "Les Misérables") makes his feature debut as Nikolas. The plot itself seems to be an origin story of Santa Claus perhaps, and the few shots of the village called Elfhelm do look appealing. Little kids will probably be really into this movie, what with all of the village's mythical creatures and Nikolas' cute mouse sidekick. 

Composer Dario Marianelli provided the score for "A Boy Called Christmas," so I'm sure all the adventurous and emotional context will be heightened by the music. If you're not familiar with Marianelli's work of the top of your head, he scored "Paddington 2," "Kubo and the Two Strings," and "Atonement," the latter of which won him an Academy Award in 2008 for best original score.

While I'm not that excited about "A Boy Called Christmas" and definitely not in the mood for Christmas movies just yet, I do appreciate a lot of aspects this film seems to offer. The cast and crew are definitely noteworthy and a holiday origin story sounds entertaining. However, one thing I can always get behind is the notion of world-building. It's hard enough to write a novel or make a film but building an entire world with robust characters, a specific visual design, and overall culture is a daunting challenge. 

In terms of holiday films, we've seen this successfully executed before with the town of Whoville from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and Christmas Town in "The Nightmare Before Christmas". So, I'm at least a little curious about the aesthetics, people, and culture of Elfhelm. That sentence is absurd to type, but honestly, it's one of the main appeals that I got from watching the trailer. Also, I can see "A Boy Called Christmas" being a fun family film. And ultimately, that's what the holidays are about, right? 

"A Boy Called Christmas" arrives November 26, 2021, on Netflix.