Richard Curtis creates Suffolk 'Love Actually'

The film is based in the fictional town of Wellington-on-Sea, a combination of Walberswick and Southwold

A filmmaker renowned for bringing the magic of Christmas to the big screen says his latest release was inspired by the community and friendships of Suffolk places.

That Christmas has been set in the fictional resort of Wellington-on-Sea, inspired by the Suffolk towns of Walberswick and Southwold with "a dab of Halesworth".

Writer Richard Curtis, who lives on the east coast, said he had adapted the script from a trio of children's books to create a "Love Actually for kids".

"I hope it both has the joys of Santa, [a] fairly traditional character - but also it will feel modern too," he said.

That Christmas follows a handful of families who are gearing up for Christmas Day but find the carefully planned celebrations are thrown into chaos when a blizzard hits the town and leaves the parents separated from the children.

Curtis says people will recognise places and traditions of the Suffolk towns of Walberswick, Southwold and Halesworth

For Curtis, this animation is a first.

"I've tended to focus on boyfriends and girlfriends yet the major interest in my life has been my kids for the past 20 years and then also where we live on the east coast of Suffolk and the idea of community and friendship and siblings."

While Curtis knows a lot about the Suffolk coast, he hopes people will recognise familiar places and traditions.

"I love writing about things that I know about and I spent Christmas in Walberswick for the last 25 years and so you'll spot the lighthouse and Little Gems, the reed beds, the sea, the beach huts and all of that."

The voices of stars including Fiona Shaw, Bill Nighy and Brian Cox - as well as music by Ed Sheeran - feature in the Netflix film

The film features the voices of Jodie Whittaker, Fiona Shaw, Brian Cox as Santa Claus and Love Actually star Bill Nighy who he says has a "very convincing Suffolk accent".

The music video to go along with Sheeran's newest release for the film, Under The Tree, was filmed on Southwold seafront, and features Bridgerton actress Claudia Jessie.

Curtis said "five years of love" had gone into the making of the animated film.

"I have lots of very happy memories of Christmas when I was young in lots of different countries we used to live across the world, so I suppose I'm just trying to pay it forward... I hope when people watch this they will hug each other a bit harder at the end."