Anyone familiar with the careers of Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy will know they have both brought heartfelt and emotional stories to life on screen, with their projects exploring everything from war and systemic violence to grief and loneliness. CVs, of course, that went right out the window in their latest movie, The Magic Faraway Tree, which provided both actors with a unique opportunity for silliness and unadulterated joy.

Adapted from Enid Blyton’s beloved classic novel of the same name, the film follows a family forced to relocate to the remote English countryside. As they adapt to their new lives, the children discover a magical tree and its extraordinary residents.

“To do something whose only objective is to make people happy is really special. It feels like a holiday and it’s quite addictive. It makes you realise, ‘Oh hang on, it doesn’t always have to be so painful,’” says Foy. “I’ve had experiences on lots of projects where it’s beautiful and really harmonious, but with this, the whole thing had a slight glow around it that was really lovely.”

With a screenplay written by Simon Farnaby, the creative mind behind Paddington 2 and Wonka, both actors were instantly drawn into the weird and wonderful world of The Magic Faraway Tree. Farnaby and director Ben Gregor encouraged the cast to dive into their roles headfirst with an “absolute silliness”, which Garfield says created a childlike energy on set.
“The fun challenge was how do you free yourself to be as silly and embarrassing and cringey and playful as possible. You have to be as much of a kid playing while the cameras are rolling as possible. We were helped by the kids themselves, as they are very spirited and fun and in touch with their own childhood,” says Garfield.

Andrew Garfield at the LACMA Arts+ Film Gala in LA. Image: DFree/Shutterstock

Claire Foy at the 69th BFI London Film Festival. Image: Loredana Sangiuliano/Shutterstock

Foy adds: “Because it’s an Enid Blyton novel, it’s very English and has our sensibilities. It could be a bit too twee, but Simon manages to make it funny for parents and kids. I read a lot of things which are funny in a cynical or angry way, but I don’t often read things that are funny and tender and sweet.”

The best children’s movies, including classics such as Coraline, Watership Down and Bridge to Terabithia, often have the ability to take complex universal themes and distil them for a younger audience. In a similar way, The Magic Faraway Tree taps into societal issues that families across the country are facing today. The movie focuses on a young family that has lost its spark and has to learn to reconnect with each other — something increasingly difficult in the age of video games and social media.

“The message in the movie is very heartfelt,” says Foy. “The themes are very universal; a lot of parents with kids are longing for more connection to each other and the world and a sense of belonging to nature and the joys of that. The story and script contain the core universal longing that we all have.”

Following the release of The Magic Faraway Tree, both Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy have a busy second half of 2026 in store. It was recently announced that Foy will star alongside Matthew Macfadyen in a BBC adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling romance novel You Are Here. The actress will also lead Danny Boyle’s Ink, the opening film of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which documents Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of The Sun newspaper in the late 1960s.

Andrew Garfield, meanwhile, is set to portray OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in upcoming biographical drama Artificial, as well as star in historical drama The Uprising, which follows the 1381 English Peasants’ Revolt. Two projects disparate enough to test any actor's mettle.

For both, however, a sense of escapism from hectic schedules, the pressures of a certain role and the relentlessness of life in the public eye can be found through sport. “The first thing that comes to mind [when I think of relaxation and escapism] is swimming in some natural water,” says Garfield. “Whether that’s the ponds in Hampstead or the sea in the Mediterranean. Also, surfing and watching any kind of sport. Watching the World Cup was so much fun, and to see the Knicks win the NBA Playoffs was so much fun.”

He adds: “I also love playing sports. I was just on holiday with some friends playing basketball every day. You just forget everything else; you’re in your body in a very primal part of yourself.”

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