New movie notes: Arthur Christmas and The Odd Life of Timothy Green

• James McAvoy will play Arthur, the son of Santa (Jim Broadbent) in a 3D animated film that shows us the real story of how those presents are made and delivered on Christmas day.  The very British cast includes Hugh Laurie as Steve, the brains behind the operations, Bill Nighy as GrandSanta, while Imelda Staunton will be Mrs. Claus and Ashley Jensen plays an elf.  The movie will release on November 23, 2011 from Sony Pictures Animation and Aardman.  Here's hoping Arthur Christmas succeeds so that we may see more films out of Aardman.  Their unique humor and style of making films is sorely missed. 
• Joel Edgerton will play Jennifer Garner's husband in the fantasy flick, The Odd Life of Timothy Green.  The movie is about a couple who are unable to have a baby and instead plant a box in their backyard with their wishes for said baby.  The child that pops out, however, is not all what they expected.