BBC & Bad Robot partner to adapt children’s classic ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse’

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse

UK pubcaster the BBC has partnered with JJ Abram’s Bad Robot Productions for an animated adaptation of the Charlie Mackesy illustrated book The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse.

Bad Robot and NoneMore Productions will adapt the book as a short film to launch on BBC One and iPlayer at Christmas, with the film retaining Mackesy’s hand-drawn traditional animation style.

The story follows the unlikely friendship of the titular boy, mole, fox and horse as they journey together in the boy’s search for home.

The project has attracted some A-list talent, with Tom Hollander cast to voice the mole, alongside Idris Elba as the fox, Gabriel Byrne as the horse and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as the boy.

Matthew Freud is producing the film, alongside Cara Speller of NoneMore Productions and J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella of Bad Robot Productions. It is co-directed by author Charlie Mackesy and Peter Baynton, and adapted from the original book in collaboration with Jon Croker.

Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer, said: “Charlie Mackesy’s heart-warming and inspirational story brought to life through NoneMore Productions’ and Bad Robot Productions’ beautiful animation, is about the importance of love, kindness and friendship. It’s the perfect fit for Christmas on the BBC and a reminder to us all about what really matters in this world.”