J.J. Abrams’ production company Bad Robot and UK studio NoneMore Productions are joining forces to produce a new animated short called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse for the BBC.

This adaptation of artist and writer Charlie Mackesy’s book of the same name will debut on BBC One and iPlayer in time for Christmas. The hand-drawn animated film, which targets families but isn’t holiday-themed, sees the unlikely travel companions embark on a journey together to help the boy find a home. 

Cara Speller (CEO of NoneMore) and Bad Robot’s Abrams and Hannah Minghella are producing the short with a cast that includes Idris Elba and Gabriel Byrne.

Mackesy’s book was a bestseller when it came out in 2019. He and Speller, a former executive producer at UK prodco Passion Pictures, teamed up two years ago to launch NoneMore in order to translate Mackesy’s literary work into new content.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse joins Spin Master’s preschool series Vida the Vet and new seasons of Fresh TV’s Total Drama franchise in the Beeb’s lineup of upcoming launches.