To say James McAvoy is a fan of Watership Down would be an understatement.

When producer Rory Aitken emailed the Scottish actor about voicing Hazel in the new, four-part animated adaptation of the tale for BBC One, he was actually wearing his Watership Down T-shirt at the time.

“I took a selfie of myself, like, ‘Check it out man!’” says the 39-year-old, as he talks about the series, alongside co-stars Gemma Arterton and Nicholas Hoult.

Written by Richard Adams in 1972, Watership Down is a famous tale of adventure, courage and survival.

Set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England, it follows a band of rabbits who flee their warren which is being destroyed by humans to make way for houses.

Led by a pair of brothers – Hazel and Fiver (Nicholas Hoult) – the rabbits’ journey to a promised land, and the hope of a more perfect society, is a treacherous one, as they face predators and adversaries.

The novel was previously adapted into a (rather terrifying) animated film in 1978, which boasted John Hurt and Richard Briers in its cast. But this is the first time it has been made into a mini-series, which will air on UK screens over Christmas on BBC One.

Taking part was a no-brainer for McAvoy, known for films such as Split, Filth and Atonement, and TV shows like Shameless. He first read the book (and loved it) when he was 20 and studying at drama school, where they used it as material for a piece of work.

For those who remember all too well how graphic the violence is towards the beloved bunnies in said film, fear not, as this new and innovative interpretation is much more family-friendly.

Expect plenty of chuckle-worthy lines, impressive and colourful CGI countryside scenery and OK, yes, there is the odd heartbreaking moment thrown in too.

There are also more female characters in this version; Strawberry, who is a buck, or male rabbit, in Adams’ novel, is voiced by Olivia Colman.

Other top-notch voices to listen out for include Sir Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort, John Boyega as Bigwig, Gemma Arterton as Clover, Miles Jupp as Blackberry, Freddie Fox as Captain Holly, and Anne-Marie Duff as Hyzenthlay.

However, the talent didn’t actually meet each other very much during recording.

“There is a lot of imagination involved. And a lot of people [the producers and director] really working overtime to try and give us an idea of what the environment is, what the environmental threat is,” said James.

As for making the rabbit sounds? Yep, that is something that the stars actually have to do.

They even recorded noises for when their characters are nibbling on food; apparently some stars ate lettuce leaves from a bowl to get it right.

The things actors do for their art!

Watership Down will air on BBC One over the Christmas period.