That Christmas takes place in the seaside British town of Wellington-on-Sea, and fans are wondering if the setting for the Netflix movie is real.
That Christmas' Wellington-on-Sea Town Explained
The town of Wellington-on-Sea is a fictitious creation for That Christmas, as no such town exists in the U.K. However, it was inspired by some real-life settings.
Director Richard Curtis told the BBC that, while Wellington-on-Sea is fictional, he took inspiration from the coastal towns of Walberswick and Southwold, with a "dab of Halesworth," which are all located in the English county of Suffolk.
The filmmaker noted how he lives on the east coast of Suffolk with his family, and that sense of "community and friendship" found there has been a "major interest in [his] life:"
"I've tended to focus on boyfriends and girlfriends yet the major interest in my life has been my kids for the past 20 years and then also where we live on the east coast of Suffolk and the idea of community and friendship and siblings."
Curtis pointed out that having "spent Christmas in Walberswick for the last 25 years," he hopes viewers will notice several details from the Suffolk town that went into creating Wellington-on-Sea for That Christmas:
"I love writing about things that I know about and I spent Christmas in Walberswick for the last 25 years and so you'll spot the lighthouse and Little Gems, the reed beds, the sea, the beach huts and all of that."
All three of the towns that inspired Wellington-on-Sea reside on the Suffolk coast, and both Walberswick and Southwold have lighthouses, as featured in That Christmas' festive town.
Curtis seemingly took inspiration from his hometown in creating That Christmas' town, as the director was born in Wellington, New Zealand, which is located coastally on the southwestern tip of the Oceanic country.
That Christmas is streaming now on Netflix.
