THIS DECEMBER SEES THE PREMIERE OF: ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ANIMATED SHORT ‘WAR IS OVER!’ CO-WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY SEAN ONO LENNON WARCHILD CHARITY DONATIONS CAMPAIGN
JOHN & YOKO’S SINGLE
HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) / LISTEN THE SNOW IS FALLING
ON 7” EVERGREEN VINYL AND
12” ZOETROPE PICTURE DISC WITH FILM SOUNDTRACK
DOWNLOADS & STREAMING
PENGUIN CHILDREN’S BOOK BASED ON THE FILM
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” began as a multimedia project that
has spanned from music to billboards to film and now print.
Let’s continue spreading John & Yoko’s timeless maxim,
“War is over if you want it.”
– Sean Ono Lennon
WAR IS OVER! Inspired By The Music of John & Yoko
13 NOVEMBER 2025 (TORONTO, ON) — December 1, at 6pm UK, 1pm NY, 11am LA, the Academy Award and Annie Award-winning animated short film, “WAR IS OVER! Inspired By The Music of John & Yoko” has its World Premiere exclusively on the Official John Lennon Channel on YouTube.
WAR IS OVER! Trailer debuts today - here.
WAR IS OVER! Film Premieres December 1 - 6pm UK - 1pm NY - 11am LA - here.
The film is set in an alternate WWI reality where, as a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers’ chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates, meanwhile neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, the film powerfully illustrates that one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.
Co-written by Sean Ono Lennon and 20-year Pixar alumni - writer, director, and animator Dave Mullins (“Up,” “Soul,” “Incredibles 2,” “Cars 2”), Directed by Mullins and Produced by Brad Booker (“Iron Giant,” “The Book of Life,” “Rumble”), it is Executive Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon, with a score composed by 15-time Oscar®-nominee, Thomas Newman.
WAR IS OVER! is a co-production of Lenono Music and ElectroLeague with animation produced by Peter Jackson’s Wētā FX using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.
Sean Ono Lennon says: In 2023, I worked with Dave Mullins and Brad Booker on an animated short film called WAR IS OVER! - about a wartime carrier pigeon delivering messages across the battlefield between two chess-playing soldiers - which I'm delighted to say, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. On 1 December this year we are Premiering the film on YouTube and simultaneously raising donations for the charity Warchild - throughout the holiday season. We would be honoured if you would help us spread the word about the film and John & Yoko's timeless message that
'War is over if you want it.'
WARCHILD
Accompanying the film will be a donation link for those who would like to support the charity WARCHILD. Donations link here.
HAPPY XMAS 7” SINGLE
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ / ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’ is being released on 7” evergreen vinyl as a replica of the original 1971 release by John Lennon and Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir, with Ultimate Mixes of the tracks Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and Mixed and Engineered by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon. Find out more here.
Also available as part of a Classic Holiday Singles Box Set here.
HAPPY XMAS 12” SINGLE
To celebrate the release of the film, these two tracks plus Thomas Newman’s soundtrack of the WAR IS OVER! film are being released as a Limited Edition 12” Zoetrope Vinyl, designed by Drew Tetz using excerpts from the film.
These three tracks will also be available on Downloads and Streaming.
Find out more here.
PENGUIN CHILDREN’S BOOK
The WAR IS OVER! film has also been adapted into a picture book with illustrations by the film’s character designer Max Narciso. A carrier pigeon named Julia delivers messages to the battlefield, but she also has a secret mission. Even though the Red Jackets and the Great Coats are at war, Julia helps the soldiers on both sides play a special game to bring each other some joy during the holiday season.
Inspired by one of the most important songs of the twentieth century and the film that carried on its legacy, “WAR IS OVER!!” is a stirring reminder of the human connection that binds us all, even during the most divisive times.
“WAR IS OVER!” is available now from Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers.
Find out more here.