Peter Baynton to Direct Apple's 'Little Santa' Film
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- Peter Baynton is set to direct Apple Original Films' animated adaptation of Jon Agee's children's book Little Santa, reuniting him with the studio after his 2023 Oscar win for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
- Bret McKenzie, the Flight of the Conchords actor and writer, will compose original songs for the musical comedy adventure
- Martin Hynes, a co-writer of Toy Story 4, is writing the screenplay and will also serve as executive producer alongside McKenzie
- The story follows young Santa Claus on an 'Oz-like trek through the North Pole,' meeting the offbeat friends who will help create Christmas
- WildBrain will animate the film, with pre-production handled by its House of Cool division
- Julia Pistor is producing the film for Apple Original Films
- The project joins Apple's growing animated family slate, which includes the first original Peanuts feature Snoopy Unleashed and the streaming titles Wolfwalkers and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Why it matters: Apple is doubling down on a recognizable animated-film brand by reteaming Baynton after his Oscar and stacking the project with proven family-animation talent — McKenzie for songs and Toy Story 4 co-writer Hynes for script — positioning a holiday tentpole against competitors' animated seasonal offerings.
