Succession star Brian Cox casts aside his Mr Nasty reputation as he takes on the role of Santa Claus in Richard Curtis’ THAT CHRISTMAS alongside Jodie Whittaker & Bill Nighy

Succession star Brian Cox is shedding his Mr Nasty reputation by playing Santa Claus in a new festive animated film, That Christmas.

The actor will play Santa alongside Jodie Whittaker, who will play Mrs. Williams, and Bill Nighy, as Bill.

In Richard Curtis’ film, his very first animated project, the lives of the inhabitants of a charming seaside town are turned upside down one Christmas day.

This Christmas follows a series of intertwined stories about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa making a big mistake, not to mention a huge number of turkeys!

It will be produced by Locksmith Animation and is an adaptation of the beloved children’s book series, The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas.

The film will debut on Netflix later this year and also stars Fiona Shaw, Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen and Katherine Parkinson.

Richard said he was “excited” for fans to see his fantasy world come to life when the film releases at the end of the year.

Executive producer Richard said: “This has been the most incredible adventure, my first animated film.

“It’s been particularly exciting to see the entire world I imagined come to life beyond my wildest dreams – and populated by a dream group of actors, their wonderful voices transformed into such rich and funny characters. “

Director Simon Otto enthusiastically said that directing the festive film was a “dream come true”.

He added: “Becoming an animator had been on my Christmas wish list since I was a child and watching animated films was one of my family’s biggest Christmas traditions.

“But I could never have imagined that one day I would have the chance to direct a Christmas movie written by the one and only Richard Curtis and collaborate with some of the most iconic voice talents.”

“Seeing these actors bring these funny and heartwarming tales to life and infuse them with the magic of animation is truly a dream come true. I hope Christmas becomes a cherished tradition for audiences around the world.

This comes after Brian revealed the specific condition he would need to return to his iconic Succession character Logan Roy for a spinoff film.

The actor was killed off in the fourth and final season that aired last year, so potential storylines would remain a mystery.

But asked by Variety if it could be considered, Brian said, “We’ll see.” If it’s good enough and (series creator) Jesse Armstrong wants to do it, I might do it.

He added, however, that Jesse ended the show at the right time. He said: “What I like about it and what I like about Jesse Armstrong is that we’re not past our sell-by date.

“Many American shows are past their expiration dates. We left people wanting. You always want to inspire people.

The series has had an incredible year after winning six awards at the 2024 Emmys, including winning the prestigious Best Drama Film award for the third time in a row.

For their performances during the fourth and final season, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen were also honored.

It’s no surprise that Succession was the night’s biggest winner, having entered the ceremony with 27 nominations – including 14 in the major categories – and a record three in the Best Leading Actor category, for Kieran, Brian and Jeremy Strong.

Brian previously said that the role of aging media mogul Logan Roy in the HBO drama series Succession was the highlight of his 60-year career.

The role earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor earlier this year and he was nominated for an Emmy Award.