Tim Allen’s Adaptation Of 25-Year-Old John Grisham Novel Sets New Streaming Home At The Perfect Time

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Tim Allen stars in Sony's holiday classic comedy Christmas with the Kranks.

Published Oct 25, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

Maggie Dela Paz is a News and TV writer at ScreenRant. She has nearly a decade of professional experience in writing entertainment articles about a wide range of topics, including movies, television, music, anime, streaming, and more.

One of Tim Allen’s popular Christmas movies is finally coming back to streaming soon.

Allen recently reprised his iconic role as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5. Pixar and Disney’s latest installment was a massive box office hit, which grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. Aside from his involvement in the Toy Story franchise, Allen is also known for his comedic roles in movies like Jungle 2 Jungle, Galaxy Quest, and Zoom.

While Allen found success voicing Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise, it wasn't really his most memorable performance. Allen's big-screen breakout was 1994's holiday comedy The Santa Clause, which saw the Golden Globe winner portray a marketing executive who accidentally becomes the new Santa Claus. Because of its box-office and critical success, The Santa Clause franchise spawned two more sequels and a two-season Disney+ series. Apart from the popular The Santa Clause movies, Allen has starred in another holiday movie in the form of 2004's underrated comedy Christmas with the Kranks, which will soon be available on HBO Max.

Tim Allen's Christmas With The Kranks Is Coming Back To Streaming

Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis star in Christmas with the Kranks movie.

Over a decade after its theatrical release, Christmas with the Kranks has officially secured a new streaming home for the month of November. The 2004 comedy will be available on HBO Max, starting on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The film follows a couple who, after learning that their daughter won’t be home for Christmas, decide to scrap their holiday traditions to take a vacation cruise instead. However, they soon find out that skipping Christmas isn't as easy as it sounds when their Christmas-obsessed neighbors start trying to change their minds.

Blockbuster producer Joe Roth directed Christmas with the Kranks, which was written by Home Alone director Chris Columbus. It was based on John Grisham’s 2001 best-selling novel Skipping Christmas. In the 2004 film, Allen portrayed Luther Krank, who’s introduced as the stubborn husband of Jamie Lee Curtis’s Nora Krank. They were joined by Dan Aykroyd, Julie Gonzalo, Felicity Huffman, Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, M. Emmet Walsh, Kevin Chamberlain, Caroline Rhea, and Jake Busey. During its theatrical run, the movie grossed only $96 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.

The John Grisham Adaptation Went From Critical Bomb To Holiday Favorite

Despite being considered a moderate box-office success, Christmas with the Kranks was widely panned by critics, who weren't impressed with its aggressive humor and tone. At the time of its debut, it only garnered a critic score of 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score is higher at 40%. However, over time, the 2004 movie ultimately gained a cult following with audiences, calling it one of the most underrated Christmas movies to date.

ChronoLogic

Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order.

Last December 2025, Christmas with the Kranks was revived by becoming a streaming sensation on HBO Max. The holiday classic managed to top HBO Max's top ten movies chart in the United States by placing second, beating popular Christmas movies such as Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It also ranked above other holiday favorites on the platform's top ten overall chart, including A Christmas Story and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.