James McAvoy is Voice of Santa Claus' Son in "Arthur Christmas"

L“Santa’s my dad!,” exclaims British actor James McAvoy who provides the voice to the title role of Arthur, Santa Claus' youngest son, in Sony Pictures Animation Studios' new, 3D family comedy “Arthur Christmas.”

“Arthur believes in Christmas, and not just because he’s been born into the family business,” says McAvoy. “He believes it in his soul – there’s nobody else in the world who cares about Christmas more than Arthur.”

“Arthur Christmas” at last reveals the incredible, never-before-seen answer to every child's question: “So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?” The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero: Santa’s youngest son, Arthur. When this amazing operation misses one child out of hundreds of millions, the least capable Claus embarks on a hilarious, exciting rogue mission against the clock to deliver the last present before Christmas morning dawns.

Despite living in a world devoted year-round to the business of Christmas, Arthur LOVES everything to do with the season. He is especially passionate about what Santa – who he adores as both dad and figurehead – means to children, whose identities sometimes get lost in the huge logistics of the operation. Trouble is, in the ultra-efficient, high-tech delivery operation of Christmas, Santa’s youngest son is a spare part. Allergic to snow and suffering from a fear of heights, reindeer, and high-speed travel, Arthur isn’t exactly a natural Claus. The family loves him – but has never quite known what to do with him. And although Arthur’s office in the Letters Department is a chaotic mess of snow globes and pictures of Santa, it’s a magical little corner where Arthur alone revels in the joy of it all.

“Arthur reads every single letter that comes to the North Pole, because he believes that every child deserves to receive a present at Christmastime,” says McAvoy. “You know, he’s relegated to the mailroom, because he’s caused a lot of accidents at the North Pole, but it’s just perfect for him – he gets to read these letters about the importance and the essence of Christmas, every second of every day.”
“Arthur cannot bear the idea of a kid waking up on Christmas morning and finding out that Santa didn’t come,” says co-screenwriter Sarah Smith. “Arthur sees the world through that kid’s eyes – it would be the end of the world.”

“Arthur is a fanboy and a workhorse for Christmas,” McAvoy continues. “He wouldn’t want to do anything else – he lives for Christmas. It’s exciting to play somebody that fulfilled because you get to keep increasing the energy, as the character tries to maintain that fulfillment.”

“The movie is really funny and very clever,” McAvoy concludes. “It’s ingenious, inventive, irreverent, different, and funny – I suppose that’s what drew all of us to do it.”

Opening across the Philippines in December, “Arthur Christmas” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.