Tim Allen spent some time in the '90s and 2000s dressed as Father Christmas – not because he picked up a second job in a department store, but to star in the three The Santa Clause movies. Now, he'll be stepping back into his role as Scott Calvin for a sequel series that will screen on Disney+.
It's the latest attempt by the Mouse House to mine its recognizable titles for new follow-up shows, and unlike some other examples, has snagged the original star. The 1994 original saw Allen's Calvin taking on the duties of Father Christmas after the previous incumbent in the role dies falling from his roof. In the sequels, he had to deal with worries about the impact of the gig on his family life and a threat from Jack Frost (Martin Short).
In the new series, Scott 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 important, 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.
Jack Burditt, who created Allen's most recent sitcom, Last Man Standing, is running the new show alongside fellow Last Man writer Kevin Hench. The cameras should be rolling in March in Los Angeles.