Who wrote The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and who is in the cast?-Robert Oliver-Entertainment – Metro

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is coming to the BBC (Picture: BBC/NoneMore Productions)

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has been tipped to become a staple of family Christmas viewing for years to come.

The short animated feature, based on the illustrated book of the same name, was first teased back in October, with the BBC announcing a Christmas Eve 2022 broadcast.

Since its release in 2019, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has become one of the most quoted modern children’s illustrated books of recent years.

Cast members of the animated adaptation include Idris Elba, Tom Hollander, and Gabriel Byrne. Isobel Waller-Bridge, sister to Phoebe, composed the soundtrack.

Who wrote The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse?

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was written by artist, illustrator, and author Charlie Mackesy.

After its release in 2019, it spent 100 weeks in the top 10 of the UK bestsellers list while the country was under lockdown conditions during the pandemic.

Mackesy was originally a cartoonist for The Spectator magazine before later producing works alongside Nelson Mandela and Richard Curtis.

He told the Big Issue: ‘I’ve always drawn animals and I’ve always drawn in that way. I remember having a chat with a friend about what courage looked like.’

What is The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse about?

The story follows four unlikely friends on a snowy day (Picture: BBC)

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse follows the adventures of the four titular characters as their friendships and relationships grow.

They find themselves having to band together in unlikely circumstances and, across the course of the story, share their hopes, dreams, and fears.

The story is very much about the need to open up and share with others, rather than face life’s problems alone.

Who is in the cast?

Idris Elba will voice the role of The Fox in the BBC animated short (Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty)

The cast includes Idris Elba, who will play the Fox. Elba, 50, has one of the most recognisable faces and voices on British TV.

Tom Hollander, meanwhile, will take up the voice of the Mole. Hollander, 55, has appeared in many films, including Bohemian Rhapsody and Pirates of the Caribbean. He has recently been seen in The White Lotus.

Irish actor Gabriel Byrne will be the voice actor for the Horse. Byrne, 72, is perhaps best known for his role in 1980s thriller The Usual Suspects.

The voice of the Boy will be played by Jude Coward Nicoll, whose previous work has included a 2021 movie adaptation of Tom & Jerry.

Where can I watch The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse?

The 30-minute animated short will be shown on the BBC on Christmas Eve (Picture: BBC)

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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse will be available to watch on Christmas Eve on BBC One live at 4.55pm. The feature is roughly 30 minutes long.

It will then become available on iPlayer.

Outside the UK, it will be made available to stream on Apple TV+ on Christmas Day, and will be considered an Apple Original Film.

Watch The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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