The Santa Clause (1994) is an all-time favorite Christmas movie for many kids who grew up in the 90s. Tim Allen is an unconventional Santa who must juggle his complicated family life with the demands of the North Pole. He almost loses everything, but he manages to make everyone around him believe in the magic of Christmas.
The second and third movies in the trilogy each added more Christmas cheer for 2000s kids. Santa was joined by a villain in his own likeness for The Santa Clause 2, and he met his match with Jack Frost (Martin Short) in The Santa Clause 3. Years later, there are still plenty of fun facts about the three seasonal favorites.
Many Characters From The First Movie Were Never Seen Again
In the world of The Santa Clause, the first movie stands apart from the other two. Not only was it filmed in a different decade; it also featured many actors who did not appear in the sequel movies. Most of those actors played elves. The extras who give the first film its character do not return for the subsequent stories. This mostly makes sense, seeing that the elves were child actors who would have grown considerably in the eight years between the original movie and the 2002 sequel.
The First Movie Had A Much Darker Santa Story
Tim Allen told Jimmy Fallon that The Santa Clause originally had a much darker beginning. The scene where Scott scares Santa off the roof started out as a shooting scene. The dad was supposed to shoot and kill Santa Claus instead of just yelling, "Hey you!" According to Tim Allen, Jeffrey Katzenberg refused to start the movie with the old Santa getting murdered.
Santa's Look Was A Huge Ordeal
When ABC News asked Tim Allen about the Santa get-up, Allen did not deny that the suit was uncomfortable. It was quite a production just for the actor to get into costume. It took him over three hours to be dressed as Santa (including the fat suit and makeup), and the undressing of Santa took an hour and a half.
That's some dedication to wear such a cumbersome outfit so many times, especially since it couldn't be worn for extended periods of time due to lack of ventilation. Tim Allen noted that the second and third movie experiences were better air-conditioned for him.
The Costume Was Tweaked Over Time
Tim Allen's Santa costume in the first movie was so elaborate and had so many bells that the red suit made noise whenever Allen walked. He had to go into the studio and re-record his dialogue for many scenes, and the dialogue replacement was added in post-production. The costume designers must have learned their lesson before the second and third films.
Charlie's Teeth Were Missing In The First Movie
Eric Lloyd played Charlie in all three movies of the franchise, but his biggest role is in the first film. He was a young kid at the time and had knocked out his two front teeth, so everything had to be rearranged for filming. Lloyd's orthodontist made him faux teeth called "flippers," which could be inserted on a wire. Fake teeth or not, Charlie is adorable in that first Santa Clause movie.
Tim Allen Didn't Want To Do A Sequel At First
The Wall Street Journal reported that Tim Allen initially was not interested in reprising his role as Santa/Scott Calvin. He wasn't sure that anything could top the first movie, and the studio wasn't keen on his ideas for a darker story. Many ideas never took off, including Santa accidentally giving a burglar powers, Scott dealing with more work/life drama, and even an "Escape Clause" title which would eventually resurface for the third movie.
Naughty Charlie Was Debated Behind The Scenes
Charlie is a sweet, innocent kid in the first movie. That's probably why his personality was up for debate in the second movie's development. Disney disliked the idea of making Charlie a trouble-maker; they probably worried that a delinquent teen would mar their image. In the end, everyone agreed that Charlie could be mischievous enough to vandalize his school and make up for it with community service hours on the weekend. The Santa Clause 2 thereby forces Scott to reexamine how he can be the best dad to Charlie.
Bad Santa Had To Be Plastic
Once the ideas finally started to click and Tim Allen was secure in the role, the movie was set to implement a "bad Santa." Fans of the movie know that this bad Santa was intended to hold down the fort while the real Santa finds a wife. Unfortunately, the clone wreaks havoc on the North Pole and wants all the children to get coal in their stockings. According to The Wall Street Journal, Tim Allen said that the second Santa needed to look like a plastic toy. "Botox Santa, as I call him...I didn't want an 'evil twin'...that's soap-opera stuff."
The Third Movie Received Poor Reviews
The third movie received poor ratings and disapproving reviews, which might be a big surprise to the people who grew up watching the film. For those who were kids when The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause was released, the movie feels like a part of the North Pole family. It might be a bit outlandish, but it somehow fits into the trajectory of so many Santa movies. Even so, reviewers lamented the jokes and the story when the film came out.
Carol Wouldn't Mind Seeing The Trilogy Continue
Elizabeth Mitchell, who played Carol Newman/Mrs. Claus, is definitely open to a reboot of The Santa Clause series. She told Entertainment Tonight, "Those movies are a joy to make." She said her fondest memory from working on the movies was when she had just had her son, and all the comedians on The Santa Clause 3 set would come practice their jokes on her. She found Tim Allen hilarious and spoke very highly of her experience. Perhaps the classic holiday movies will join the realm of reboots one day.