Trailer For The Alfonso Cuarón-Produced 1943-Set Disney+ Short Film THE SHEPHERD About a Pilot Stranded in The Air
Disney+ has released a wonderful first trailer for an upcoming short film titled The Shepherd, and it looks like a great little holiday film! The story is set in 1943 and it follows the story of a young Royal Air Force pilot, Freddie Hooke (Ben Radcliffe), who ends up being stranded in a plane while flying home across the North Sea on Christmas Eve.
Hooke finds himself in peril “when his radio and electricity cut out, leaving him stranded and running on limited fuel.” The movie also features John Travolta, who plays a “mysterious, good Samaritan rescue pilot who appears at just the right moment.”
Iain Softley writes and directs the film and Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) is a producer, and he said in a statement: “John, Iain and myself have been long-time admirers of the beloved short novel by Frederick Forsyth. I am thrilled that we have been able to jointly share our love of this story. Being old friends with Iain, he was the perfect match to bring this beloved narrative to life on film for the first time. After the success of last year’s short, ‘Le Pupille,’ and working with director Alice Rohrwacher, it’s really inspiring to be building out a collection of short films that celebrate the season with such talented filmmakers who each bring their own unique vision and cinematic style.”
Softley added: “I was attracted from the beginning by the story’s many qualities. It is an exquisite, contained Christmas fable, both mysterious and profoundly moving with a couple of unexpected twists. We all hope that this film will touch audiences in the way that it touched us and will be appreciated across many generations and cultures.”
Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, added: “This beautifully crafted adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s novella spotlights the talents of our award-winning team of filmmakers. We are delighted to work with our friends at Esperanto Filmoj on another Christmas fable that can be enjoyed by families everywhere.”
The film also stars Steven Mackintosh, Millie Kent, Simon Wilson, Iwan Bond, Claire Price, Simon Lennon, Jack Donoghue, Asan N’Jie, Olatunji Ayofe, and Scarlet Grace.
The Shepherd is set to debut on Disney+ on December 1st.