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The Santa Clause first came out in 1994, instantly becoming a Christmas favorite among cinephiles, critics, and family audiences. The project was initially considered risky as it starred Tim Allen, who was only a television actor looking for his big break in films back then. Even the director and the rest of the crew were fairly new to the industry.
The movie follows Scott Calvin, who causes Santa Claus to fall from the roof and has to take up the responsibility of delivering gifts and convincing everyone at the North Pole that he is indeed Santa Claus. He is accompanied by his son on this tricky and heartwarming journey.
The Santa Clause went on to become one of the most beloved Christmas films and then became a franchise with two more films, The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, which weren't as well received but enjoyed commercial success nevertheless. As the latest addition to the franchise, The Santa Clauses, a series on Disney+ will be taking the legacy of The Santa Clause forward.
So, as fans prepare themselves to be transported to the world of Scott Calvin, here are some truly interesting facts about the 1994 film.
Spring shooting schedule, fake teeth, and other interesting facts about The Santa Clause (1994)
1) Tom Selleck and Tom Hanks were initially considered to play the lead
The Santa Clause was a major project for Disney at the time. Moreover, the film had no big names associated with it, making it quite a risky step on the part of the production house. Tim Allen was just a stand-up comic who had been in a television series called Home Improvement and was looking for a break in the movies.
However, he wasn't the makers' first choice to play Scott Calvin in the film. Initially, Tom Hanks and Tom Selleck were among the many stars considered for the role. Considering the kind of warm roles both these actors were associated with, it is obvious why the two of them were thought to be perfect for the role. However, it was finally decided that Tim Allen playing the role would be mutually beneficial to the film and to the actor.
Allen did indeed make it big after starring in The Santa Clause and went on to co-star with Tom Hanks in Toy Story.
2) The film, set in December, was shot during spring
Part of the film's aesthetic that makes it as festive as it can get are the snow-covered landscapes and the excessive snow that brings about the Christmas cheer. However, the film was shot during a particularly warm spring in Toronto. This called for an extra effort for the production to make all the snow-covered landscapes real and believable.
The crew apparently used several different props such as marble dust, various kinds of artificial snow, and snow blankets. Although some parts of the film are evidently revealing of the snow blankets, the production design managed to convince viewers of the Christmas weather and the excessive snowfall.
3) The film was originally supposed to be called Such a Clatter
Like most modern-day masterpieces, The Santa Clause went through quite a journey before it made it to theaters and became the success that it is. Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick, the writers of the film, came up with the idea for the screenplay way back in 1989. The first idea was a thought of what would ensue if a person ended up killing Santa Claus.
From then onwards, the two began gathering more ideas and building a story which took quite some time as they didn't have any filmmaking experience whatsoever. From the time of ideation until the film went into production, they used the name Such a Clatter for the film before it got its final name, The Santa Clause.
4) Eric Lloyd used fake teeth in the film
Eric Lloyd plays one of the most important roles in the film - Scott Calvin's son. Although he didn't need to change costumes as frequently as Tim Allen, who played his father, Lloyd faced another issue altogether. During the filming, he went for a hockey game where he hurt himself, causing both his front teeth to fall off.
The makers then fell into a dilemma of how to accommodate that on screen and ended up getting a fake pair of teeth for the young actor to wear for the rest of the shoot. His teeth in all the scenes right from the montage in his home are fake and were specially designed by his orthodontist.
5) The original screenplay gave its Santa a much darker ending
In The Santa Clause, Santa is startled by Scott and falls off the roof which causes his death. However, the screenplay originally had Santa shot by Scott Calvin. Scott was supposed to shoot at him with his shotgun. However, once Disney got involved, it was decided that the trope would be too dark for a Christmas movie and the changes were made.
The film is fairly dark for a Christmas film as it still plays around the idea of Santa's death. However, the treatment of the subject is fairly light and doesn't take itself too seriously.
The Disney+ series The Santa Clauses premiered on November 16, 2022.
