Is The Polar Express on TV this Christmas? How to watch and stream online
Ready to board The Polar Express? Read on for the latest streaming information.
The early to mid-2000s were something of a golden era for new Christmas movies – and just a year after both Elf and Love Actually were released, Robert Zemeckis's festive film The Polar Express arrived in UK cinemas in 2004.
An adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 children’s tale, it tells the story of a young boy who has become sceptical about the existence of Father Christmas, but eventually has his faith in Santa restored when he is invited to take a journey to the North Pole on a magical train.
Hailed at the time for its groundbreaking work using Performance Capture CGI, the film has had some detractors over the years – with some viewers finding the animation a little uncanny valley – but nonetheless remains a staple of many film fans's festive schedules.
And for good reason: it's a magical and enchanting Yuletide adventure with as many as six different performances from the legendary Tom Hanks and a couple of memorable original songs.
Naturally, the challenge of juggling so many characters was an exhausting one for the actor. “There's only so much that I can internally grasp as an actor and on the day of tests that we did, I played five or six or seven roles in the course of that day, and I said, 'Bob, I'm exhausted here,’” he explained to IGN FilmForce back in 2004.
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“So in my mind, I had a track on the five characters that I played. I could understand the differences between them all and I understood how they related to the boy and I understood what the boy's perceptions of them were.”
Speaking about how he overcame the challenge of portraying so many different characters, he added: “My job is to make manifest these other people and you just imagine what they are and you come up to a kind of physiological understanding of who they are and then you stick to it."
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With an uplifting message at its core and a brilliant soundtrack packed with festive favourites, The Polar Express is a real Christmas crowd pleaser, so if you want to get swept up in its magic all over again, here’s how you can watch it during Christmas 2023.
If you’re after further holiday viewing inspiration, why not check out our guide to Christmas TV in 2023?
Is The Polar Express on TV this Christmas 2023?
It's yet to be confirmed whether The Polar Express will be showing on any of the free broadcasters this year, but if you're willing to pay a fare to hop on board, it is available to watch on Sky Cinema and NOW as part of their Christmas line-up.
If you are a Sky customer, you can catch the film on Sunday 17th December at 5pm, when it will air on Sky Showcase. Don't worry if you miss it, though, as it is expected to be broadcast on the channel throughout the festive season.
To access The Polar Express on NOW, you’ll need to sign up for a Cinema pass, which costs £9.99 per month.
Is The Polar Express on Disney Plus?
Sadly, The Polar Express is not available to watch on Disney Plus right now. It is a Warner Bros movie rather than a Disney film, after all.
As detailed above, it is available to watch on Sky Cinema and NOW.
Alternatively, you can buy The Polar Express on DVD from Amazon UK at the cost of £4.99, or £7.99 on Blu-ray, or you can head over to Amazon Prime Video, where the film is available to rent for £3.49 and as a digital download for £7.99.
The Polar Express plot: What is it about?
The official synopsis reads: "On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas."
This animated movie is the perfect Christmas watch – full of all the festive feels needed to be a classic for this time of year.
The Polar Express cast: How many characters does Tom Hanks play?
There is a lot of Tom Hanks in the cast!
The Oscar-winning actor voices Hero Boy's father, Hobo, Scrooge puppet, Santa Claus, the Narrator and the Conductor.
This brings his count up to a whopping six characters!
He also did some of the motion-capture for Hero Boy, who was voiced by Daryl Sabara and The Hunger Games star, Josh Hutcherson.
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