Tim Allen is getting back into his Santa suit for one last time with a new The Santa Clause original limited series in the works from Disney Plus.
In addition to reprising his role from the original 1994 film and its two sequels, The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), Allen will also executive-produce the series, which is going with simply The Santa Clause as a working title. In the films, Allen starred as toy salesman Scott Calvin who inadvertently agrees to become Santa Claus after accidentally killing the previous St. Nick one Christmas Eve.
In the new series, however, Allen’s character will be focusing on his retirement, according to the plot synopsis in the press release.
In the Disney+ series, 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 his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. 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.
Production is set to begin in Los Angeles in March for an ostensible 2022 holiday release. Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt and executive producer Kevin Hench will serve as showrunner and executive producers, respectively, along with Richard Baker and Rick Messina.
The original film recently saw a resurgence on Disney Plus, so it makes sense that the streamer would try to capitalize on the popularity of the nearly 30-year-old film. Likewise, all three movies were successful at the box office, earning a combined $474 million worldwide.
Yet, New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff reacted to the news in the most appropriate way possible.
Surely, this series is for somebody? You’ll find no judgments here.