It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …
The first trailer for “The Santa Clauses,” the upcoming Disney+ miniseries that extends the beloved “Santa Clause” trilogy of films, debuted as part of D23 Expo. And in the clip, Santa Claus (Tim Allen, once again) is interviewing potential candidates for the job. (Unlike in the original film, a rude businessman won’t have to accidentally murder him.) And who is on the top of his list? Peyton Manning. “I can’t wait to rub this in Brady’s face,” Manning says in the clip.
According to the official synopsis, “Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially two sons, one that grew up in Lakeside, Illinois (Charlie) and one that grew up at the Pole (Buddy). With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.”
Elizabeth Mitchell also returns for the new series as Mrs. Claus alongside Kal Penn, Austin Kane as Allen’s son, Matilda Lawler as Santa’s chief-of-staff, Laura San Giacomo as Befana the Christmas Witch and David Krumholtz, who returns as Bernard, now described as Santa’s former right-hand elf.
When “The Santa Clause” was originally produced, it was a racier comedy made for Disney’s Hollywood Pictures division, which specialized in more adult-leaning genre fare. When executives got a look at an early cut, they realized the potential for the movie as a family blockbuster. They did some additional editing, paid for more dazzling visual effects, and the movie, released in the 1994 holiday corridor, wound up a hit, grossing nearly $200 million on a $22 million budget and becoming a perennial yuletide favorite. “The Santa Clause 2” followed in 2002 and a third film in 2006. And now, a Disney+ limited streaming series.
“The Santa Clauses” will debut on Disney+ on November 16 with a two-episode premiere.
