Alfonso Cuarón’s An Almost Christmas Story Cast & Release Date

Alfonso Cuarón’s An Almost Christmas Story is coming to Disney+ later this year. Per Disney, the animated short will premiere on the streamer this fall. An Almost Christmas Story marks the third and final installment in Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection.

The short film is based on Rockefeller the Owl — Rocky for short. Rocky was a small owl rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

The official synopsis reads: “An Almost Christmas Story follows Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost young girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents.”

Who is in the An Almost Christmas Story Cast?

An Almost Christmas Story’s cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon, Estella Madrigal as Luna, Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owel, Mamoudou Athie as Pelly, Alex Ross Perry as Dave The Dog, Gianna Joseph as Peaky, Phil Rosenthal as Punt, Natasha Lyonne as Pat, and John C. Reilly as The Folk Singer.

Reilly’s Folk Singer will perform four songs in the short, including two originals.

David Lowery produces and directs An Almost Christmas Story on a screenplay he co-wrote with Jack Thorne, based on a story by Cuarón and Thorne. Additional producers include Cuarón and Gabriela Rodríguez. Nicholas Ashe Bateman is the creative designer, and Daniel Hart is the composer.

An Almost Christmas Story is produced by Disney Branded Television and Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj in association with Titmouse and Maere Studios. Animation services were provided by 88 Pictures.

Cuarón’s previous holiday shorts, Le Pupille and The Shepherd, were live-action. Le Pupille received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short.