Taika Waititi expands Disney collaboration with new 'Christmas Short'

Taika Waititi has deep ties with Disney, having directed two Thor films for Marvel Studios, earned an adapted screenplay Oscar for Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit, and contributed both directing and voice work to The Mandalorian on Disney+.

He has now added another project to that long-running partnership by directing the company’s annual holiday short.

The new short, Best Christmas Ever, debuted this week and is already approaching 14 million views on YouTube. The story follows a young girl whose doodle magically comes to life after Santa Claus accidentally interprets her drawing as a Christmas wish.

John Goodman, known for his long history of Disney voice roles in films such as Monsters, Inc. and The Princess and the Frog, voices the animated doodle.

Explaining the heart of the project, Waititi said, “What makes this story uniquely Disney is the fact that 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.”

His upcoming work includes a Sony 3000 adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.

To celebrate the release and highlight this year’s holiday theme, Make Someone’s Holiday Magic, Disney encouraged fans to send in their own doodles.

Selected drawings were then showcased Wednesday on the Times Square Billboard, bringing the audience directly into the festive campaign.