Is The Polar Express on TV this Christmas? How to watch and stream online

The 2004 film, which adapts Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 children’s tale, 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.

The film was perhaps best known at the time for its groundbreaking work using performance capture CGI, which may to modern eyes look dated, and fall somewhat into the uncanny valley, but remains a milestone when it comes to the development of techniques which are now commonplace.

The film stars Tom Hanks in multiple roles, with the actor himself saying in an interview with IGN FilmForce back in 2004: "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.'

"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."

Though the film may have been somewhat tainted by time when it comes to its visuals, it still remains a nostalgic, beloved watch for many, with its uplifting message and ear-worm-filled soundtrack.

However, if you're planning to watch the film this year, how would you do so, and when will it air on TV? Here's everything you need to know.

Is The Polar Express on TV this Christmas 2024?

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 Thursday 5th December at 11:50am and 7:30pm, and Monday 9th December at 8:55am and 4pm, when it will air on Sky Cinema: Family.

On Wednesday 11th December at 6pm and Thursday 12th December at 4:05pm, the film will also air on Sky Cinema: Drama.

Don't worry if you miss it, though, as it is expected to be broadcast on Sky 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 £16.49, or £9.94 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 £4.99.

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.

If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.