One of the most beloved Santa Claus movies in modern cinema, The Santa Clause tells the fantastical story of Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) reluctantly becoming Santa Claus after accidentally knocking the former Santa off the roof of his house on Christmas Eve. Scott attempts to go about his normal life as a business person, until the following Christmas, when he decides to fully embrace the role of Santa Claus. He happily fills this role from the time of the original movie through the events of the recent show The Santa Clauses.
While the original The Santa Clause very clearly depicts how the former Santa falls off the roof and disappears, leaving Scott to become the new Santa, the movie does not clarify for the audience who the old Santa actually was. However, Disney+'s recent The Santa Clauses show follows many of the same characters while providing more insight into the line of succession for Santa Claus, including explaining the original mystery of who came before Scott and who was the first Santa Claus of all.
The Santa Before Scott Calvin Was A Supernatural Being Known As "Santa 17"
The Santa Clauses Outlines The Real Reason Scott Became Santa Claus
Upon arriving at the North Pole in The Santa Clause, Scott Calvin is informed by the elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) that a clause in the Santa contract states that if one Santa dies and someone puts on the Santa suit, they are obligated to become the next Santa Claus. However, the elves do not give Scott any information about his predecessor. Decades after this movie's release, it was revealed in The Santa Clauses that the previous Santa was a supernatural being known as Santa 17 (Jim O'Heir).
Because in previous The Santa Clause installments, Scott interacts with supernatural beings such as the Tooth Fairy and Mother Earth, it actually makes some sense that Santa was originally a supernatural being too.
Even more surprisingly, The Santa Clauses clarifies that Scott was the first human to become Santa Claus, with all the previous Santas being supernatural beings. Because in previous The Santa Clause installments, Scott interacts with supernatural beings such as the Tooth Fairy and Mother Earth, it actually makes some sense that Santa was originally a supernatural being too. When Scott visits Santa 17, who actually retired after the events of the first The Santa Clause, Santa 17 also reveals that Scott was chosen as Santa because of his generous personality as a child.
St. Nick Is Technically The Original Santa In The Santa Clause Franchise
There Is A Whole Line Of Santas From St. Nick To Scott Calvin
Though The Santa Clauses does not fully explore each and every Santa that came before Scott, Scott's visit to Santa 17 does give him more information about the history of the role of Santa Claus. Santa 17 was fittingly given his name because he was the 17th Santa in a line that began with St. Nicholas (Mitch Poulos), the original. The Santa Clauses' use of St. Nicholas is a nice reference to the original myth of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the historical figure who gave rise to the gift-giving Santa Claus that many are familiar with today.
The Santa Clauses has brought plenty of Christmas cheer to Disney+ for two seasons already, and here's everything we know about season 3.
Much like Santa 17's reasoning for choosing Scott as his replacement in The Santa Clause, The Santa Clauses states that St. Nick's kindness and generosity are what began the creation of the supernatural creatures that preside over Christmas. These reveals, including the origin of Santa Claus, help answer some questions that audiences have been asking about The Santa Clausesince 1994.
Disney's The Santa Clause follows Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), a marketing director for a toy company, who, after a recent divorce, is spending Christmas with his young son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd). When he startles an intruder off of his roof on Christmas Eve, Scott accidentally volunteers to be the new Santa, then spends the following year undergoing a magical transformation into jolly old St. Nick.
Director John Pasquin
Writers Steve Rudnick , Leo Benvenuti
Cast Wendy Crewson , Judge Reinhold , David Krumholtz , Eric Lloyd , Tim Allen
Release Date November 11, 1994
Runtime 97 minutes
Tim Allen returns as Scott Calvin in The Santa Clauses, a mini-series follow-up to the original Santa Clause trilogy. Scott has spent thirty years spreading Christmas cheer and managing operations in the North Pole as Santa Clause, but he notices a change is coming. With Christmas's popularity declining and Scott's inability to keep up with the pressures of his job and be a capable father, Scott discovers there may be a way to step down from his role. Scott begins his search for his new successor so that he can finally adjust his priorities for his family.
Directors Jack Burditt
Writers Leo Benvenuti , Jack Burditt
Cast Tim Allen , Elizabeth Mitchell , Eric Lloyd , Kal Penn , Matilda Lawler , David Krumholtz
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English (US) ·