Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger

Donald Peterson is an anxious teacher who has just moved to a new house with his pregnant wife Sarah. He accepts a teaching job at St. Bernadette's primary school, taking over the class formerly taught by Mr. Maddens, who by this point has left for the United States; in the interim, the enthusiastic and childlike teaching assistant Mr. Desmond Poppy has been teaching the class unaided.

The class wants to enter in a competition called "A Song for Christmas", in which each school produces their own Christmas song, with the winning song earning its school £10,000 and the chance at being a Christmas number 1. However, headteacher Mrs. Bevan refuses the class permission to enter without a qualified teacher, and worries that her nephew, Mr. Poppy's, behaviour is so inappropriate that no teacher will ever stay in the job.

Donald lives in the shadow of his domineering father, and his estranged, 'golden boy' identical twin brother Roderick, who is a world-famous composer and conductor. When Mr. Poppy decides St Bernadette's should enter the National 'Song for Christmas' competition, he persuades Donald to sign the entry forms, later kidnapping him for an impromptu road trip to Castell Llawen ("Merry Castle", not a real place) in Wales, where the competition is being held.

However, Roderick is also competing in the competition, mentoring the choir of posh St Cuthbert's College. Mr. Shakespeare (Jason Watkins) from Oakmoor School, rivals of St Bernadette's, has also entered his class. Donald and Mr. Poppy take their class through the wilds of Wales where they get past obstacles, such as exhaustion, rivers and baby nappies for a baby that one of the children smuggled into the group, to a mountain, which they have to climb over to reach Christmas Castle in time for the show.

As soon as they arrive Donald is reunited with Sarah and Mr. Poppy with Mrs. Bevan. However, Roderick is determined to win so he steals the baby and a part of Mr. Shakespeare's song, locks his brother, Mr. Poppy and the class in a giant snow globe and disqualifies them. But the vengeful Mr. Shakespeare and his class help them out, Mrs. Bevan retrieves the baby and St. Bernadette's sing two successful songs while pretending to be Oakmoor.

As they leave, Sarah Peterson suddenly falls into labour and they place her on a donkey they found on the way to the castle and take shelter in a barn where Donald helps her give birth to twin boys. Mrs. Bevan and the rest of St. Bernadette's join them, along with Donald and Roderick's father who finally admits he is proud of Donald. Back at the castle Oakmoor wins the 'Song for Christmas' though it should have been St. Bernadette's.

In the barn Mr. Shakespeare and Roderick show up. As Mr. Poppy and the class sing another Christmas song for Donald, Sarah and their new babies, the two brothers finally reconcile and decide to get the family together more often.

• David Tennant as Donald Peterson / Roderick Peterson, estranged twin brothers
• Marc Wootton as Desmond Poppy, the primary school assistant and Mrs. Bevan's nephew
• Jason Watkins as Mr Shakespeare, the head of rival school Oakmoor
• Joanna Page as Sarah Peterson, Donald's wife
• Ian McNeice as Mr. Peterson Snr., Donald and Roderick's father
• Jessica Hynes as Angel Matthews
• Pam Ferris as Mrs. Bevan, the school headteacher and Desmond's aunt

Mr. Peterson's Class Appeared in the first movie:

• Alexandra Allen as Cleo
• Ben Wilby as Bob
• Brandon McDonald as Olly
• Caitlin Cronin as Lucy
• Dominic McKernan as Dan
• Ellie Coldicutt at Beth
• Faye Dolan as Jade
• Joe Lane as Edward
• Joshan Patel as Bill
• Maeve Dolan as Sam
• Michael McAuley as William
• Milly Webb as Neve
• Morgan Brennan as Charlotte
• Reece Stowe as Fraser
• Sydney Isitt-Ager as Sadie

New children:

• Jesse Donohoe as Jesse
• Pixie Davies as Pixie
• Joseph West as Joseph
• Kyle Johnson as Tommy
• Louise Blunt as Little Lucy
• Mason Daw as Mason
• Mason Simpkins as Mason

Mr. Shakespeare's Class

• Adrianna Bertola as Adrianna
• Eleanor Grant as Eleanor
• Ethan Smith as Ethan
• Freddie Watkins as Sebastian
• Grace Hollis as Grace
• Jessica Horton as Jessica
• Jessica Mogridge as Jessica
• Olivia Chu as Gracie
• Samuel Waters as Sam
• Samuel Young as Samuel
• Scott Folan as Scott
• Shannon Maguire as Shannon

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger was theatrically released on 23 November 2012 by Entertainment One, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 18 November 2013 by Entertainment One.

When the film was released in the United Kingdom, it opened on #3, behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and Skyfall.[6]

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! was filmed over the course of six weeks in October and November 2011, in England and Wales.[7]

Prior to filming starting, writer/director Debbie Isitt and actor David Tennant spent a week in Coventry,[8] spending time in real classrooms and with school choirs and plays, and helping with the auditions for the child roles. Filming began in Coventry on 15 October 2011, and filmed there for two weeks.

On 29 October, the production moved to north Wales[9] for another two weeks, filming in various rural locations, including at Llanrhaeadr Falls and the stable scenes filmed at Avoncroft Museum in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.[10] The production then moved to its final location in Warwickshire, where they filmed at Warwick Castle (standing in for St. Cuthbert's College) and in Stratford-upon-Avon.[11]

The competition scenes were filmed in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Courtyard Theatre. Filming ended on 29 November 2011. The film was shot in the improvised style, with no proper script, and the actors not being told the narrative ahead of time, but having the plot revealed to them bit by bit as filming progressed.[3]

A third film in the series began filming in November 2013, entitled: Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?.[12] It was released on 14 November 2014.[13]

• Nativity 2 on IMDb
• Official website