It's a year away yet, so if this gives you a festive feeling, you'll need a long memory to keep that rosy glow kindled. But to warm your cockles on this cold December morn, here's a teaser for Aardman Animation's **Arthur Christmas.
Despite Mr Elf's best efforts at damage limitation, it's a cute little intro to a film about Santa's enormous technological North Pole operation, with "an army of 1.6 million elves planning the delivery of 2 billion gifts in one night"; and to his doofus son Arthur, who thinks everything to do with Christmas is brilliant!
Arthur is voiced by James McAvoy, and he's joined by Jim Broadbent as Father Christmas; Imelda Staunton as Mrs Christmas; Hugh Laurie as Arthur's mega-efficient older brother Steve; Bill Nighy as the cranky Grandsanta; and Billy Bob Thornton as the alcoholic Badsanta.*
We like Aardman, we like Christmas, we like this trailer, and we especially like the ridiculous Close Encounters sleigh. Sarah Smith and Barry Cook are the directors, and the film is delivered, wrapped in fancy 3D, on November 23, 2011.
*Okay, that last one isn't true, and would rather change the tone of the film. Look - a polar bear in a hat!