Simone Ashley is already making her mark in the movie world after breaking through in Netflix hits Sex Education and Bridgerton.
The star now has a Christmas movie – The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland, out on Sky Cinema this Friday (December 13) – and has made her debut as an executive producer on upcoming British rom-com Picture This.
It saw Ashley make a direct impact on the new movie as she was involved in the creative conversations before filming.
“When I first got the script, there were a lot of changes that I wanted to be made, so we really flipped it upside-down,” she told Digital Spy in an interview to mark the release of The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland.
Related: Simone Ashley praises “beautiful” new Christmas movie
“I’m so grateful that [production company] 42 MP really supported me with the changes that I wanted in the script. They really meant a lot to me. From casting the movie to different costumes or the soundtrack.
“I really wanted to get Kiran + Nivi on our soundtrack. They’re a pop duo, they’re twins that just completely blew me away when I first started watching their videos and I messaged them on social media.”
While Ashley might not quite be ready to direct a movie (“I think I need years of experience”), she added that she is keen to take on more producing roles going forward.
And she already knows the kinds of movies she wants to make, such as The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland.
Related: First trailer for Simone Ashley’s Christmas movie
“I grew up watching a lot of animation movies as a kid, whether it was Disney or Pixar or whatever it might be. I think I’ve always encapsulated that imagination and childlike view of the world,” Ashley explained.
“I think bringing things back to a simpler message, that is still universal for adults, is so important. I think just teaching our younger generation to be confident in themselves, to be kind, to think positively and to understand that they can change the future as well.
“That’s what I really want to do with my career.”
The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland is released on Sky Cinema on December 13.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
Deputy Movies Editor, Digital Spy
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over seven years, mostly for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas.
Her work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema in the UK.
She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world, and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She’s also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London.
Now based in the UK, Mireia joined Digital Spy in June 2023 as Deputy Movies Editor.
