The Santa Clauses is more than just an on-screen family affair. The new Disney+ series is a continuation of Tim Allen‘s The Santa Clause franchise and will feature his daughter, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, as his on-screen daughter. During the D23 Expo in Anaheim last weekend, Allen gushed about working with Elizabeth, who is making her acting debut in the show.
“You know, it’s been such an organic experience and overzealously it’s great to work with, there’s no question about it,” Allen, 69, told E! News of making a series with his daughter. “It was life-changing for me.” Allen later explained that casting Elizabeth in a big role on the show was not part of the original plan.
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Allen said he brought Elizabeth to the set, just to give her a background role. However, the producers suggested she read the part of Sandra Calvin-Claus. “I go well she can read whatever she wants. And she read it and even I went, wow,” Allen recalled.
Even Elizabeth, 13, was completely surprised. “It’s honestly like overwhelming and I still can’t believe I’m here, like, what’s happening?” she told E! News at D23. Elizabeth’s casting was announced in April.
The new series is set on the brink of Scott Calvin’s (Allen) 65th birthday. He realized that he cannot be Santa Claus forever and his family could really benefit from spending time outside the North Pole. The division between his sons Charlie (Eric Lloyd), who grew up in Illinois, and Buddy (Austin Kane), who grew up in the North Pole, is also becoming more evident. With so many people and elves to please, Scott decides it is time to search for a successor. That successor might be Simon Choski (Kal Penn), a game inventor and product developer. Simon is also a single dad with a kindhearted daughter, Grace (Rupali Redd).
The series also stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus, Matilda Lawler as Santa’s Chief of Staff Betty, Devin Bright as the elf Noel, David Krumholtz as the elf Bernard, and Laura San Giacomo as Befana the Christmas Witch. The series is produced by 20th Television and includes Jack Burditt (Last Man Standing) as an executive producer, alongside Allen, Richard Baker, Kevin Hench, Rick Messina, and Jason Winer. The first two episodes will debut on Disney+ on Nov. 16.
The Santa Clause film series launched in 1994 with the first film, which was written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick, and directed by John Pasquin. The Santa Clause 2 followed in 2002 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause was released in 2006. All three films are available on Disney+.
In other Allen news, the show that made him a household name is finally available to stream again. The entirety of Home Improvement is back on Hulu. Home Improvement was missing from streaming for the past three years. Two other Allen shows, Last Man Standing and Assembly Required, are on Hulu as well.
