A new animated short film inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s classic 1971 holiday tune and peace anthem “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” recently was given a series of screenings in order for it to qualify for an Oscar nomination and currently is looking for distributors, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko was the brainchild of the famous couple’s son, Sean Lennon, who decided in 2021 that he’d like to have a movie created based on the song to help keep the tune’s message of peace alive.
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“[It] just felt like it deserved some kind of piece to help get it out there for another generation,” Sean told The Hollywood Reporter, noting that he didn’t want the movie to have a Hallmark vibe.
The project got off the ground after Lennon was introduced to former Pixar animator Dave Mullins, whose credits include Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Up, and who wrote and directed the 2017 short film Lou. The plot of the movie came together following a conversation between Lennon and Mullins, in which they discussed an incident in World War I where a truce was called during Christmas time and British and German troops wound up playing soccer together.
The War Is Over! film, which was co-written by Lennon and Mullins, and directed by Mullins, is set in an alternate World War I reality and tells the story of soldiers from opposite sides of the conflict who remotely play a game of chess with the aid of a brave carrier pigeon.
Peter Jackson, who directed The Beatles: Get Back docuseries and the Fab Four’s new “Now and Then” music video, helped advise Lennon with regard to the making of War Is Over! Jackson’s visual effects company, WetaFX, also participated in the production.
The 11-minute film features a score by Oscar-nominated Thomas Newman, whose extensive credits include The Shawshank Redemption, WALL-E, Finding Nemo, and 1917, while “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” is not heard until the closing credits.
Reflecting on the world still being embroiled in military conflicts in areas such as Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, Lennon told The Hollywood Reporter that he feels that its “very sad that my parents’ message of peace and love is still relevant to this day.”
He also noted that he realizes sometimes calling for peace in light of the current situation in the world isn’t embraced by everyone.
“Some people are very sensitive about this message of peace today,” Lennon said. “They feel like it’s a denial of peoples’ pain. And I am not criticizing anyone. I’m saying I really believe in resolving problems peacefully as a concept, even though it sounds very naive. It’s something I was raised to believe and I still believe it.”
You can find out more details about War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko and watch the film’s first trailer at Electroleague.com.
