Ewan McGregor is Christopher Robin: The first trailer #book2movies

Sitting in the theater this weekend, watching the previews before Wrinkle in Time began, the teaser trailer for Christopher Robin—NOT to be confused with Goodbye Christopher Robin—took me by surprise. Who, I thought, is that unhappy looking man? The man, momentarily unrecognizable to me, was Ewan McGregor—who happens to be frozen in time in my mind at age 30 when he played Christian in Moulon Rouge. But time does march on, and as the poster for Christopher Robin says, sooner or later, your past catches up to you. And when it does, that fresh, bouncy face will likely show the worries of the years.

About the movie

While not based on a book, the film is inspired by the A.A. Milne classic, and features Christopher Robin all grown up as, ‘A working-class family man who encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life.’

From the looks of Ewan McGregor in the image above, he needs all the help he can get. Is this a film for children? Or is it geared to aging boomers like me who grew up loving Pooh bear—and Tigger and Eeyore and Kanga too—who can relate to a world so full of pressure that it can drive the happiness right out of you if you don’t fight to keep the monsters at bay? 

I love that Pooh looks like a real live teddy bear—like his boy all grown up, a bit bedraggled and the worse for wear—come to life, along with the animated characters who are voiced by a talented cast including Chris O’Dowd as Tigger, Brad Garrett as Eeyore,  Toby Jones as Owl, and most importantly Jim Cummings as Winnie-the-Pooh. Cummings, you see, has played that silly old bear dozens of time since the death of the original Winnie was voiced by Sterling Holloway.

Jim Cummings is the voice of Winnie-the-Pooh

Here’s what director Marc Forster said about his casting.

“He lived this character for over 30 years, so for him, this is, sort of, part of his being at this point. It was important to me [to have] this nostalgic element of the voice and the feel. It was very important.’’

The Hundred Acre Woods in the film Christopher Robin

The director also strived to make the Hundred Acre Woods come alive with the magic we remember. Here’s how Forster said he brought it to life.

“It was important for me that the Hundred Acre Wood is a place that feels real because that's how it was: real. We shot very close to Milne estate, out where his original house was in Suffolk... it just feels like that's where Christopher Robin played. It's not some fantastical place, it should feel like the real place.’’

Christopher Robin comes out in the late summer around the world. August 1 in France, August 3rd in the US, August 17th in the UK and September 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Check here to find the release date in your country. 

Is it just me or are we feeling very nostalgic this year? Besides going back to the Hundred Acre Woods with Christopher Robin, we saw Peter Rabbit come back to Mr. McGregor’s garden, we’re seeing A Wrinkle in Time come to the screen for a new generation and we’re welcoming The Return of Mary Poppins this Christmas.