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Christmas Is Here Again is a 2007 animated Christmas film released on DVD by Screen Media Films. The first feature production from
the Renegade Animation studio, it was co-written, co-produced and directed by Robert Zappia.
Narrated by Jay Leno, the film features the voices of Edward
Asner, Kathy Bates, Madison Davenport, Colin
Ford, Brad Garrett, Andy
Griffith, Shirley Jones, Norm Macdonald, and Daniel Roebuck.
Sophianna, a crippled orphan girl, sets out to find Santa's stolen toy
sack, which is a magical source of toys since it was made from the baby Jesus' swaddling
clothes. She is helped in her quest by one of Santa's elves, one of
Santa's young reindeer, a fox and a polar bear.
Renegade Animation, an animation company located in Glendale, California and known for the
TV series Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and The Mr. Men Show, teamed up with Easy to Dream Entertainment
to create Christmas Is Here Again. A small crew spent nine months
on the principal animation, which was completed in mid-2006.
One of the songs in the film's soundtrack (as well as the film's
working title) was "Who Stole Santa's Sack?"
Co-producer Darrell Van Citters, a Renegade staff member, once
directed a Disney short called Fun with
Mr. Future (1982).
Christmas Is Here Again premiered on October 20, 2007, as an
official selection at the Heartland Film Festival.
The following year, it received an Annie
Award nomination for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television
Production (Madison Davenport as Sophianna).
The film was originally slated for a theatrical release in November
2007,
but ultimately received its DVD debut in the U.S. on November 4, 2008.
The disc contains a behind-the-scenes featurette, cast interviews and
"Name the Reindeer", as extras.
Originally, the reindeer on the DVD cover had a red nose akin to Rudolph's.
On the final version of the cover, it is black.
