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August 7, 2024, 3:42 p.m.

Sheeran teams up with the king of romantic comedies, Curtis, for a festive treat.

Gather around the Christmas tree, Ed Sheeran has written and recorded a brand new Christmas anthem, Under The Tree, for Richard Curtiss upcoming animated film This Christmas.

Just when you thought your Christmas playlist couldn’t get any more merry, Ed is here to prove you wrong!

“That Christmas” will be released on Netflix on December 6th and promises to be this year’s Christmas hit.

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Directed by Simon Otto, designed by the mind behind Love Actually And Four weddings and one deathThe film features a star cast of voice actors, including Brian Cox as Santa Claus, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy.

It is set in a picturesque seaside town where, as you might expect, everything goes hilariously topsy-turvy during the holiday season.

Sheeran, who is used to working with Curtis, gushed: “I’ve been friends with Richard Curtis for years and we’ve done a lot of great charity work and then we were both heavily involved in the film Yesterday.

“He came to me two years ago to play me the rough cut of That Christmas. It was just sketches and voices, but it blew me away. So emotional and yet so heartwarmingly funny, like all of Richard Curtis’ films.”

Of his role as a family man, Sheeran added: “Since having kids, I’ve realised there’s a real lack of great animated Christmas films for kids, so I thought it would be a great thing to make and bring out into the world.”

“The scene we wrote this song for is so heartbreaking, but also so real for many people who spend Christmas without their loved ones for so many reasons.”

The red-haired troubadour even brought his older brother Matthew on board for the musical magic.

“I got to work on it with my older brother (composer Matthew), which is a real rarity and a gift to work so closely with my only sibling,” Sheeran said.

“It was a nice feeling to create something that my children can watch with their uncle in the country where they live.

“I think it’s a shame there aren’t more animated Christmas movies for kids, but this movie is becoming a staple of the holidays, at least in our household.”

“I hope everyone likes it and that everyone enjoys the song. We had so much fun writing it.”

Curtis, known for his talent for heartwarming storytelling, is equally excited about this festive collaboration.

“We’ve been friends for many years and – especially now that he’s a husband and a father – it’s really nice that he plays such an important role in this film about love, children and family,” Curtis noted.

Otto, the film’s director, echoed this sentiment, stating: “The song has since become the heart of the film and has motivated us artists to do our best and do justice to the beauty and honesty it brings to the film.

“I will be forever grateful to Ed for giving us such an honest and beautiful piece.”

About his own feelings towards Christmas these days, Richard told the Chris Evans Breakfast Show At Virgin Radiolast year: “I’m still a full ten because I just did that Genie movie, and the Genie movie is about, you know, when you get a genie in a bottle, you can have anything in the world, but the thing you want most is just a nice meal with your family.

“And Christmas forces my family, many of whom fled to America, to come home. It’s the only time we see them, and I like turkey.”

“That Christmas” is based on a children’s book trilogy written by Curtis himself and marks his first foray into animation.

And with Ed Sheeran’s soulful crooning setting the tone, this is guaranteed to be a holiday flick for the ages.

If Sheeran’s previous Christmas collaborations are any indicator—remember his festive charity hit “Merry Christmas” with Elton John?—this new song is sure to melt even the biggest Grinch’s heart.

In the meantime, Ed was busy decorating halls and concert stages across Europe.

His next performance is scheduled for August 10th at the Zagreb Hippodrome in Croatia and he will finish this leg of his tour on September 8th in Larnaca, Cyprus.

It looks like Santa’s little helper won’t be getting much rest this Christmas!

“That Christmas” will be on Netflix from December 6th.