The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse announced for BBC One this Christmas

This Christmas, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse will be coming to BBC One and iPlayer in a beautiful animated short film.

The short film brings to life the magic of the original book, with Charlie Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations in full colour with hand-drawn traditional animation.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse takes audiences of all ages on an extraordinary, poignant and heartfelt journey this Christmas and follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse as they journey together in the boy’s search for a home.

Breathing life into the book’s protagonists is an award-winning cast of actors including Tom Hollander as ‘the mole’, Idris Elba OBE as ‘the fox’, Gabriel Byrne as ‘the horse’ and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as ‘the boy’.

On bringing the project to screens, creator Charlie Mackesy says: “The journey of making the film of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse with my ridiculously talented and kind animation team has been a magical one. It’s so great to think the story will be in the nation’s homes this Christmas – and I really hope it helps bring comfort, love and laughter.”

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer says: “Charlie Mackesy’s heart-warming and inspirational story brought to life through NoneMore Productions’ and Bad Robot Productions’ beautiful animation, is about the importance of love, kindness and friendship. It’s the perfect fit for Christmas on the BBC and a reminder to us all about what really matters in this world.”

This is the latest announcement from BBC for Christmas as the broadcaster also confirms Call The Midwife and The Smeds And The Smoos festive shows.