Neil Patrick Harris heads cast of holiday family film '8-Bit Christmas'

HOLLYWOOD -- This Thanksgiving weekend, it's also Christmas! Well, at least in the movie world.

"How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris heads the cast of the holiday film, "8-Bit Christmas."

He plays a dad who's telling his 10-year-old daughter about a time in the '80s when he desperately wanted to see an 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System under the Christmas tree. His daughter is desperate for her own cell phone, but Harris' character isn't budging.

"I love family films because I have a family of my own," Harris said. "I have two kids, and I think it's important to make content that kids will learn from but that also everyone can watch together."

Winslow Fegley plays Harris' character as a child.

"I love filming this one. There's a lot of kids," Fegley said, adding that the film was a lot of fun to make. "I didn't really get bored or anything, and I know that a lot of my family are going to love this movie, and I hope a lot of other families will love this movie."

"I think we hit the sweet spot a lot and it feels nostalgic," said Harris. "It feels smart, and it feels like something that everyone can laugh at together."

Harris even did his own stunts, seemingly slipping on ice in a part of the move.

"I took a full on back header," he said. "They had pads. I was bruised, but very proud of my prowess."

"8-Bit Christmas" is rated PG and is streaming now on HBO Max.