David Krumholtz revealed why his character Bernard wasn't in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. The Santa Clause franchise, starring Tim Allen as a man named Scott Calvin who becomes the new Santa Claus, has been a staple of the holiday season since the first film premiered in 1994. Krumholtz starred in the first film where he played Bernard the Head Elf at the North Pole.
Krumholtz reprised his role as Bernard in 2002's The Santa Clause 2 but did not return for the third film in the franchise, 2006's Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. At the time, many believed it was due to scheduling conflicts with Krumholtz's show Numbers which had premiered on CBS in 2005. The character of Bernard is unmentioned in the finished film, with Curtis (Spencer Breslin) assuming the head elf role.
In an interview with Vulture, Krumholtz revealed the exact reason he did not return for The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. While Krumholtz acknowledged the scheduling conflict he did say they had managed to work out a way for him to do both projects. He admitted that while Bernard had a big role in the sequel, he felt the role had been devalued and chose not to participate in it and has yet to watch the third film. Krumholtz said:
"Well, the story about my scheduling is true, but somehow also untrue. Yes, I feel that way. Bernard was in the third movie. They sent me the script, I had a pretty significant role. We did work out the schedule, which was going to be hellish on me, but I was going to make it work. And it was all set to go. But I would say that the character got devalued a little bit and I couldn’t in good conscience do it. The third one, I’ve tried to watch. It’s not the same. I think the first two are really special. The first one’s a classic, obviously. It’s wild to be part of something that’s lasted this long, that plays every single year and has become tradition in people’s homes. I could never have imagined that I’d be having this conversation years later."
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause is the lowest-grossing film in the franchise as it only brought in $84 million domestically and was beat out in its opening weekend by Borat. The Santa Clause 3 is also the lowest reviewed film of the series with a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ CinemaScore, which is below the first film's A- and the sequel's A CinemaScore. While Krumholtz's Bernard character may not have been the direct cause for the massive box office dip from the first two films, it is an interesting note and may speak to the popularity of the character.
In the 27 years since The Santa Clause's release, it has become a holiday classic that families watch every year to get into the season. While Tim Allen might be the face of the franchise and the biggest name of the series, Krumholtz' Bernard was a popular character in his own right, and the actor has had a highly successful career with a wide variety of projects across film and television. While no word has been made on any follow-ups to The Santa Clause, if Disney did revisit the property, the return of Bernard the Head Elf would certainly be a welcome return.
Source: Vulture