The Christmas movie season is finally here and for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit, check out The Naughty Nine, a new Christmas heist television film which recently premiered on the Disney Channel and Disney+. To learn more about the film, we have an exclusive interview with director Alberto Belli and actor Winston Fegley who told us about filming, their favorite scenes, Christmas traditions and more.
As always, we have made every effort to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t seen the film yet. And for those of you who have, you will enjoy this peek behind the scenes even more. So without further ado, here is a quick refresher before we get into the interview.
The Naughty Nine stars Winston, Camila Rodriguez, Derek Theler, Deric McCabe andn Clara Stack among others. Winston plays a fifth grader named Andy who finds himself without a visit or even presents from Santa on Christmas morning. Andy realizes he must have been added to the “naughty list” and so assembles a crew of eight other naughty children to break into Santa’s village on the North Pole to steal the presents they believe they deserve. Along the way, the group learns to work together and use their different talents for good instead of the mischief they had planned.
Alberto confirmed to us that the most challenging part of shooting the film was dealing with the freezing temperatures in Montreal. To overcome these conditions, the set had a lot of heaters and warm jackets to keep the cast and crew warm between takes. He also told us that much of his inspiration for the movie came from his desire to create a really unique version of Santa’s village while keeping the established traditions alive.
“Be patient that your dreams will come true.” [Alberto Belli]
Winslow on the other hand told us that his favorite scene was riding on a sleigh enroute to the North Pole since it felt like riding a roller coaster! He also really loved working with his castmates and to relax after a long day of shooting by playing the game Mafia together.
“Don’t be naughty!” [Winslow Fegley]
Both Alberto and Winslow also shared their favorite Christmas memories with us. Winslow revealed that in his house, Santa covers every brand of their tree with chocolate-covered pretzels. Alberto loves spending time with his family over the holidays and told us that they all went to Disneyland together for the first time on Christmas once.
Please also watch the interview below, where we ask more questions about the filming process and much more! Thank you, Winston and Alberto, for your time and for speaking with YEM! Make sure to follow Alberto on Instagram at @abelli. While you’re there, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment!
Consider this:
-Be patient and your dreams will one day come true.
