| The Heist Before Christmas | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Edward Hall |
| Screenplay by | Ronan Blaney |
| Starring | |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Sky Max |
Release date |
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Heist Before Christmas is a 2023 British Christmas film starring Timothy Spall and James Nesbitt. It is written by Ronan Blaney, directed by Edward Hall, and produced by Calico Pictures and SHUK (Studio Hamburg UK).
 | This article needs an improved plot summary.(August 2024) |
A twelve year-old witnesses a bank robbery committed by a man dressed as Santa Claus during a 'Santa Dash' and follows the robber only to also meet a man claiming to be the real Father Christmas. [1] [2]
Written by Ronan Blaney, the film, then entitled Joy to the World, was announced by the Sky Group in February 2023, with filming scheduled to take place in and around Belfast. Production comes from SHUK and Calico Pictures. [5] The title was changed to The Heist Before Christmas prior to broadcast. [6]
Principal photography took place in Newtownabbey and Monkstown, County Antrim and Rathfriland County Down in March 2023. [7] [8] That month, filming also took place in the Turf Lodge housing estate, Belfast. [9]
Lead actors James Nesbitt and Timothy Spall were joined in the cast by young actors Bamber Todd and Joshua McLees, both from Northern Ireland and 13 and 11 years old, respectively. [10]
It was broadcast in the UK on Sky Max on 24 December 2023. [11]
The Guardian's Lucy Mangan rated it four stars, calling it a "magnificent drama" but bemoaning the ending as "a bit of a mess". [12] The Independent's Nick Hilton was less positive, rating it two stars, praising its "ambitious, anti-capitalist" outlook, but criticising its execution as "cheap" and "hammy". [13]
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and television and radio presenter. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999 and he has recorded eleven albums. He gained worldwide attention when his single "When You Say Nothing At All" was featured in the film Notting Hill and reached number one in several countries.
Timothy Leonard Spall is an English actor and presenter. Spall gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. He is known for his collaborations with director Mike Leigh, acting in six of his films: Home Sweet Home (1982), Life is Sweet (1990), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), and Mr. Turner (2014). He was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Secrets and Lies, and received the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award for his portrayal of J. M. W. Turner in Mr. Turner. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. He won the 2024 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, for his performance as Peter Farquhar in The Sixth Commandment.
Rafe Joseph Spall is an English actor.
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James Nesbitt is an actor from Northern Ireland whose filmography encompasses both television and film roles over a 30-year period. Nesbitt's screen career began in the early 1980s with uncredited roles in episodes of the BBC Play For Today strand, which he had while attached to the Riverside Theatre's youth group. His first credited role came in 1989, as a bit player in the John Ogdon biopic Virtuoso, which was followed by his first feature film role in 1991 in Hear My Song.
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