David Krumholtz Will Play Bernard In The Santa Clause TV Series
The year is 2050. The oceans have boiled away, humanity's last surviving remnant of survivors roam the barren wilderness as rival gangs, and Disney is about to release the latest nostalgia-infused legacy sequel/remake/revival series in their vast library ... and it'll somehow make a billion dollars worldwide.
We're long past the point where complaining about Disney's (lack of) imagination when it comes to greenlighting original projects vs familiar IP will do anyone any good. Audiences have their established tastes, studios know what tends to be proven moneymakers, and that's just the way it is. So with all that out of the way, here's the latest bit of news that will undoubtedly bring us one step closer to the "Mad Max: Fury Road" future we all deserve.
Surely you remember that Disney+ is moving forward with a new spin-off series of the beloved "The Santa Clause" movie from 1994, imaginatively titled "The Santa Clauses." Well, the nostalgia circle is finally complete as one fan-favorite member of the original cast is now set to appear in the new Disney+ series. According to Deadline, none other than the ever-sarcastic Bernard the Elf himself, David Krumholtz, will be back after his conspicuous absence in the sequels to the original movie. As the scene-stealing (and somewhat dour) elf, Krumholtz certainly made the most of his supporting role at the time and will no doubt serve as a draw for even more viewers who are, once again, hastening the downfall of civilization by planning on tuning into this upcoming series.
All that said, however, this saga is a little more complicated than it may seem at first glance.
All's well?
When I mentioned that actor David Krumholtz was noticeably missing from the roster of returnees for "The Santa Clauses," that was perhaps underselling the situation a bit. While actors Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Austin Kane, and Elizabeth Allen Dick were announced to reprise all of their original roles as members of the Calvin family, Krumholtz's name was initially nowhere to be seen. The actor famously declined to be a part of the third "The Santa Clause" film after appearing in the first two, claiming that the threequel would've "devalued" the character. Perhaps as a result, Krumholtz didn't appear to have been kept in the loop for the upcoming series, taking to Instagram (via MovieWeb) to say that the announcement was "nothing short of shocking."
So does today's casting suggest that it's all water under the bridge, or was the fan outcry over his omission just too loud to ignore? Either way, all those uber-fans of "The Santa Clause" can finally take a deep breath and rest assured that their childhood will remain untarnished as (most of) the original crew will be back and ready for action. In addition to Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Clause and Mitchell as Carol/Mrs. Clause, the rest of the cast includes Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, Devin Bright as Noel, Austin Kane as Cal, Matilda Lawler as Betty, Rupali Redd as Grace, and Kal Penn as Simon Choski. "The Santa Clauses" is set to arrive on Disney+ presumably towards the end of this year.
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 importantly, 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.