A Christmas Carol (2009 film)

A Christmas Carol (also known as Disney's A Christmas Carol) is a 2009 American animated Christmas fantasy film based on the 1843 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. Co-produced, written for the screen and directed by Robert Zemeckis, it is Disney's third adaptation of the novel, following Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and ImageMovers Digital (a joint venture between Zemeckis's ImageMovers and The Walt Disney Company) and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film stars an ensemble voice cast including Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, and Cary Elwes.

The film was animated through the process of motion capture, a technique used in ImageMovers' previous animated films including The Polar Express (2004), Monster House (2006), and Beowulf (2007). Like the previous film Zemeckis has directed, Alan Silvestri returned to compose the score. A Christmas Carol was the first film produced by ImageMovers Digital, and also was, along with Mars Needs Moms (2011), the only ImageMovers Digital projects made, before the studio was shut down by The Walt Disney Company for unsatisfactory box office results.

A Christmas Carol had its world premiere in London on November 3, 2009, which coincided with the switching-on of the annual Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas lights; it was later released in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats in the United States on November 6. It grossed 325.3 million worldwide against a $175–200 million production budget, and received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized its dark tone and script, but praised its visuals, Silvestri's score, and the performances of Carrey and Oldman. Despite the mixed reception, the film was nominated for Favorite Animated Movie and Carrey won Favorite Voice From an Animated Movie at the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards.