'An Almost Christmas' Shares Story Of Rockefeller Owl

A new animated short from Alfonso Cuarón is coming to Disney+ in time for the holidays. The short, An Almost Christmas Story, was inspired by a real life owl. The short is already a star-studded event, with both the cast and crew.

Viewers Can Visit Rockefeller Center Right At Home

In essence, the story will let viewers visit Rockefeller Center for Christmas, no matter where they are. The story revolves around an owl known as “Moon,” who gets attacked by a bird while flying to a city. Injuring his arm, Moon is told by his father to wait in a tree until his return.

However, the tree ends up being the main attraction of Rockerfeller Center. While in New York City, Moon soon befriends a lost girl named Luna. Together, the two join up and find their lost parents. As Moon puts it, they want to get home “for Christmas, whatever that is.”

'An Almost Christmas Story' - YouTube — ‘An Almost Christmas Story’ – YouTube

Five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón is the short’s producer. Cuarón is known for directing a variety of films, such as Y tu mamá también and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. David Lowery also serves as a director.

As noted by People, Cuarón previously worked on other holiday shorts in recent years. He served as a producer on The Shepherd, in which a pilot tries to make his way home on Christmas Eve. He also worked on Le pupille, meaning “The Pupils,” which revolves around a group a girls at a Catholic boarding school around Christmas during a time of war.

The Short Has Some Well-Known Voice Actors

The short also boasts a notable voice cast. Cary Christopher of Days of Our Lives voices Moon, while Jim Gaffigan provides the voice of his father. Meanwhile, Estella Madrigal voices Luna.

Other voice actors attached include Mamoudou Athie, Natasha Lyonne, and John C. Reilly. In particular, Reilly will play the “Folk Singer,” who provides songs throughout the story.

The story was inspired by the discovery of a tiny owl within the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree back in 2020. After receiving treatment, the bird, an adult male, was released back into the wild by the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center.

At the time, Ellen Kalish, the center’s director and founder, talked to NBC New York about how the owl likely got into the tree. As she explained, “What I suspect was that it was in the tree when they cut it down and it probably got trapped when they wrapped the tree in some of the branches. It was there for I think what was a three-day journey to New York City and wasn’t found until they released the branches.”

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