To mark the release of the fantasy animation The Land of Sometimes, we had the pleasure in speaking to two of its leading stars, Asa Butterfield and Alisha Weir.
Butterfield (Sex Education, Hugo) voices a role in the film alongside Weir, who is fresh off the back of her acclaimed turn in Matilda: The Musical, and together the pair opened up about the peculiar isolation of voice acting, what animation uniquely unlocks that live action simply cannot, and why Butterfield wanted to make a film his younger siblings could finally watch. There were childhood confessions — Weir revealed she had imaginary friends well into an age she’d rather not specify — Butterfield’s gloriously self-deprecating take on why animation is a relief (“you don’t have to look at your own face, which is inherently just not that nice”), while speaking on their experiences as child actors, and how to navigate the film industry at such a young age.
Watch the full interview with Asa Butterfield and Alisha Weir here:
Plot
Twins Alfie and Elise get more than they bargained for after summoning the mysterious Wish Collector, an enigmatic character who whisks them away to The Land of Sometimes — an incredible place where all four seasons pass in just one day. Granted with a total of six wishes, the pair soon learn that they’ll need to be careful what they wish for, embarking on a magical, musical journey filled with fantastical creatures and a truth that shines brighter than any wish: the power of family.
The Land of Sometimes is released in UK cinemas on 20th March 2026
