The Santa Clause sequel series has taken another step forward with the casting of one of its main stars. Per Deadline, Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar series, Designated Survivor) has been tapped as a lead where he'll be joining returning franchise stars Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell. Serving as a follow-up to the Santa Clause film trilogy, the Disney+ sequel series is created by Jack Burditt (Last Man Standing).
Allen returns at Scott Calvin, the character he played in the Walt Disney Pictures movie series that becomes the new Santa after inadvertently killing the previous man in the suit. Mitchell is also back as Mrs. Clause. Penn will be playing Simon Choski, an "ambitious game inventor and product developer and a devoted single father. Simon can talk the tech-mogul talk but can’t walk the walk, and his dream of being the next Bezos falls drastically short. But all that changes after a visit to the North Pole."
The synopsis for the series reads: "Scott is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s suddenly starting to lose his Santa magic, 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 North 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."
Jason Winer serves as director on the series and executive produces with Jon Radler under their Small Dog Picture Company banner. Burditt will serve as showrunner and executive produce with Allen, Kevin Hench, Richard Baker, and Rick Messina.
Kal Penn is known for his breakout role in the Harold & Kumar movie series, the third installment of which put a holiday spin on the stoner comedy films. His other roles include House, Designated Survivor, and Sunnyside, with more recent roles in the film Hot Mess Holiday and the CBS series Clarice. The actor recently picked up a male lead role in the FX comedy pilot for Belated from writer Peter Tolan.
The Santa Clause Becomes the Latest Franchise to Get a Revival
It's not entirely surprising to see The Santa Clause returning, given the popularity of the films. Released in 1994, the first movie was a tremendous success, still standing tall as one of the most celebrated holiday movies of all time. Sequels would later follow in 2002 with The Santa Clause 2 followed by The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause in 2006.
The rise of streaming services has paved the way for classic franchises to be revisited. Every streamer wants to provide their own exclusive offerings to entice subscribers, and there's more than enough material in the well for Disney to fall back on with Disney+. The Santa Clause may have just been a matter of time given how much fans still watch the films every holiday season.
The Santa Clause sequel series on Disney+ does not yet have a release date, but you can go back and watch the original films on the streamer.