Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón goes to New York for his latest short holiday film.
Called “An Almost Christmas Story” (now streaming on Disney+), the musical animated short follows Moon, a young owl who finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree that’s heading to Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the city, Moon befriends a lost little girl named Luna. Natasha Lyonne and John C. Reilly are among the voice cast.
“That was a real story that I read – about this owl that got stuck in the tree that they brought to Rockefeller Center,” Cuarón told The Post, referring to the 2020 incident that made headlines.
The Mexican director, 63, added, “I thought that would be a very good point of departure for a Christmas story. So, I crafted this little story with Jack Thorne, and we presented it to [director David Lowery], who I always wanted to collaborate with. I’m so thrilled and happy about the result.”
Cuarón’s body of work is diverse, spanning from iconic films for kids – “A Little Princess,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” – to grittier adult stories such as “Y tu mamá también,” the dystopia “Children of Men,” and “Gravity” starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
“I don’t even think about it. I’ve been very lucky to be able to explore both universes, and I don’t see much difference between one or the other,” Cuarón said, referring to creating work for both children and adult audiences.
He added, “Of course, you have to understand the tone of what you’re trying to do, particularly if it’s a tone that is surrounded with greater innocence.”
Even though Cuarón has made many films beloved by audiences, he said he doesn’t watch his own movies after they’re done.
“For me, it’s more the memory of the making of it. To this day, probably my favorite [among my films] is ‘A Little Princess.’ I haven’t seen it, but I like the experience of doing it. And I was very satisfied in the moment [about] the result.”
Many Harry Potter fans view “Prisoner of Azkaban” as the best movie.
Cuarón famously turned down making more “Potter” movies, and he also turned down a James Bond film.
However, the “Roma” director told The Post, he’s not “against the possibility” of making a franchise film again “if it makes sense.”
“Even when I think of Harry Potter, I was not thinking of it as a franchise,” he explained.
“You think about that as a possibility for a film. I mean, there are certain kinds of universes that I’m more attracted to than others. I love comedy. I love horror. I love action. But because I’m more of a cinephile than a filmmaker, what I’ve learned also is that sometimes there are films that I prefer to watch, not necessarily to do.”
He added that he’s not against superhero films or the prevalence of franchises in movies, but “my hope is that certain diversity will come back to our screens. I think it is very, very, very needed.”
However, in the immediate future, he’s not hopping right back into another film or TV show. He joked, “My plans [are] a beach with a hammock.”
