Bridgerton star Claudia Jessie has teamed up with Ed Sheeran for a special project, with the pair collaborating on a music video.
The pop star today (November 26) unveiled his latest song, ‘Under the Tree’, which has been recorded to coincide with the release of Richard Curtis’s upcoming festive animation, That Christmas.
Curtis, best known for Love Actually and Notting Hill, directed the video for the song, which sees Jessie – who plays Eloise on Bridgerton – portray the role of Sheeran’s girlfriend as they reunite after some time apart.
Related: That Christmas review: Netflix’s British animation lacks the festive sparkle
“Richard Curtis made my favourite Christmas film and TV special,” said Sheeran of the project. “He came round my house in 2021 and showed me a rough [cut] of his new one, then asked me to make a song for it. How could I resist?
“Having kids, I struggle to find great, great movies for very young kids to watch at Christmas, and this ticks all the boxes. This song is written about a character in the film who wants to spend Christmas with his dad, but doesn’t get to.
“It’s a heartbreaking scene, and something so many people go through every year being alone at Christmas. Hope everyone loves the song, the movie is called That Christmas and it’s out December 4 on Netflix. My family and I love it. Yours will too.”
“It’s a real thrill to make my music video directing debut with my dear friend Ed Sheeran,” added Curtis, who also penned the screenplays for The Boat That Rocked and Four Weddings and a Funeral.
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“I hope I’ve done justice to his gorgeous song. It’s lyrically magical and it unlocks a critical moment in the film for us. Suddenly you feel all these layered emotions that go beyond what is seen on screen and you are filled with longing and hope.”
That Christmas, which is being released on Netflix, follows the residents of fictional seaside town Wellington-on-Sea as they try to avoid disaster at Christmas, with the stacked cast including Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy.
That Christmas will stream on Netflix from December 4.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.