Snoopy has landed on Santa’s naughty list, and John Legend, Kamasi Washington and Laufey will help supply the soundtrack for his Christmas comeback in SNOOPY PRESENTS: 12 DAYS OF SNOOPY.
“When you’re working on it, [jazz] ends up being the natural kind of music that goes with these stories,” composer Jeff Morrow told Mashable in a February 2021 interview about THE SNOOPY SHOW, explaining his approach to the familiar Peanuts characters.
Morrow returns to score the new Christmas special, which Apple says premieres Nov. 13. This time, his music will sit alongside original songs and a holiday standard performed by a lineup that gives the familiar beagle’s latest adventure a distinctly new sound.
The setup is simple enough for any child watching the calendar before Christmas: Snoopy has only 12 days to prove he is not such a bad beagle. While the Peanuts children stay on their best behavior, he faces a problem that could put his presents in jeopardy.
Apple’s synopsis says his effort leads him to discover that the season means more than gifts. That gives the countdown a purpose beyond checking names on a list: the story turns toward what matters when the wrapping paper comes off.
Related: SNOOPY PRESENTS: A SUMMER MUSICAL
The new special’s music lineup includes Legend’s original song “Get Ready,” produced by Raphael Saadiq. Washington contributes “Trying To Get There,” featuring Leon Bridges, while Laufey performs “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” produced by Spencer Stewart.
For families who know Peanuts through its instantly recognizable music, that combination offers something familiar and something fresh. A new Christmas adventure can bring in different voices without asking viewers to forget the sound that helped make Charlie Brown and his friends part of their childhoods.
The franchise has recently made room for that kind of collaboration. Apple’s July 2025 announcement for SNOOPY PRESENTS: A SUMMER MUSICAL credited original music to Ben Folds, Morrow and Broadway composers Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. That special built its story around the gang’s efforts to save a summer camp through a concert.
The Christmas entry takes a different approach, putting Snoopy’s own predicament at the center. Peanuts and WildBrain produce the special, inspired by Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip, with executive producers including Paige Braddock, Logan McPherson and Mark Evestaff.
Of course, a new Peanuts Christmas title carries a familiar question for Christian families: will it make room for more than seasonal bustle? Movieguide®’s review of A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS praises that earlier special’s clear emphasis on Jesus’ birth, rather than commercialization, and its encouragement to serve others.
That assessment belongs to the classic, not to the still-upcoming 12 DAYS OF SNOOPY. Apple’s new synopsis promises a lesson about looking beyond gifts; it does not establish that this story repeats the older special’s explicit Christian message. Parents can keep that distinction in mind as they consider the new adventure.
For now, the new songs and Snoopy’s 12-day scramble give families specific reasons to put this premiere on their radar. The beagle has a reputation to repair before Christmas, and this year he will have some notable musical company along the way.
Read Next: SNOOPY PRESENTS: WELCOME HOME, FRANKLIN
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
