Disney spotlights childhood imagination in holiday short by Taika Waititi
Disney’s 2025 Christmas short features a young girl and her drawing, which comes to life, voiced by actor John Goodman.
Disney is embracing the themes of “friendship and imagination” this festive season with the release of its new Christmas short film, ‘A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever’, directed by filmmaker Taika Waititi.
Launching today (10 November) in partnership with global creative agency Adam&eveDDB, the film follows a young girl whose Christmas drawing comes to life after Santa mistakes it for a holiday wish.
Voiced by actor John Goodman from Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Cars (2006), the animated drawing joins the family’s celebrations but becomes frustrated when he realises he can’t speak. The girl then wishes for him to have a mouth, allowing him to join in the festive singing.Disney pledges to meet audiences ‘where they are’ as it unifies services
The film closes with the message ‘Make Someone’s Holiday Magic’, which serves as the tagline for Disney’s 2025 holiday campaign.
“Disney stories have always been a source of togetherness, wonder, and joy, especially during the holidays,” says Disney’s senior vice-president, brand management, Joanna Balikian.
“With A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, we sought to capture that timeless spirit of friendship, family and imagination that brings generations together and makes the holidays magical.”
The short follows last year’s Emmy-nominated ‘A Disney Holiday Short: The Boy & The Octopus’, also directed by Waititi, who describes the new film as “uniquely Disney” because it’s set in “the world of a kid”.
“It’s a kid and her new best friend, navigating the complex world together, and doing it just with the power of friendship and imagination,” he adds.
Last year marked Waititi’s first Disney Christmas project. For three years before that, Disney’s festive storytelling focused on Lola, a trilogy created in EMEA celebrating traditions passed down through generations.Disney looks to strengthen ‘resonance and engagement’ in holiday short by Taika Waititi
Earlier this year, CEO Bob Iger reaffirmed Disney’s commitment to the “television business”, saying the company no longer sees a divide between streaming and traditional TV.
The shift reflects a broader goal within Disney towards meeting audiences “where they are”, underpinned by platform integration, tech upgrades and international growth.
In the third quarter, Disney added 2.6 million subscribers across Disney+ and Hulu, bringing its total to 183 million people. Revenue for the three months ending 28 June rose 2% to $23.7bn (£17.7bn).
