'The Tiger Who Came to Tea': Release date, plot, cast and everything you need to know about the Christmas special
Judith Kerr’s classic children’s book ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ will be coming to life as a half-hour animated Christmas special in the U.K. The book has been a favorite for generations of readers and has sold over five million copies since it was first released in 1968. Kerr, who wrote and illustrated the book, died this year at the age of 95, making this a very special tribute to someone who has enriched the lives of millions of children.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming movie:
Release Date:
‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ will be coming to homes in the U.K. as a Christmas special on Christmas Day. It is presently unclear if the movie may be released in other parts of the world.
Where to watch:
The short film will be premiering exclusively on Channel 4.
Plot:
The book begins when little Sophie and her Mummy are sitting down to tea in the kitchen. There is a ring at the door and they open the door to find a very unexpected houseguest — a big, furry, striped tiger.
Not wanting to be rude, they invite the tiger into the house and he proceeds to eat everything in sight, even drinking all the water out of the taps. He then thanks them for the “tea” and makes his timely exit, just before Daddy gets home.
Cast:
David Oyelowo
Oyelowo is perhaps best known for playing Martin Luther King Jr. in the acclaimed movie ‘Selma’. The British-Nigerian-American actor will be voicing the Tiger in the film.
According to the Guardian, he said, “Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to play the iconic Tiger from 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea'? He’s a big cat of few words because he’s too busy eating! But I relished all of the growling, chomping and slurping, which called on me to find my inner cat.”
The voice cast also includes Tamsin Greig as Mummy (‘Episodes’), Benedict Cumberbatch (‘Sherlock’) as Daddy, Paul Whitehouse (‘Harry and Paul’) as Milkman, seven-year-old newcomer Clara Ross as Sophie, and David Walliams (‘Little Britain’) as the Narrator.
Director:
Robin Shaw
Shaw is an acclaimed animator, illustrator and director. He will be coming on to serve as director for the animated special, which is being produced by Lupus Films. Shaw has also directed some of Lupus’ previous animated specials including ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’. Joanna Harrison developed the script for 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' based on Kerr's classic book.
Trailer:
There isn’t a trailer for the animated special out yet but we will be bringing it to you as soon as it becomes available to the public. Until then, watch this space for updates.
If you’re excited about this movie, you’ll also love these:
‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’, ‘The Snowman And The Snowdog’, ‘The Grinch’, ‘The Snowman’ and ‘Paddington’.