Arthur Christmas is a 2011 British/American 3-D computer animated fantasy comedy filmproduced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was released on November 11, 2011, in the UK and on November 23, 2011, in the USA.The film was directed by Sarah Smith, and it features voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen. Set in the North Pole, the plot tells about Santa's son Arthur Christmas, who must complete a mission before Christmas morning.