Hold on to your butts, because this trailer is a lot to take in. Netflix has released the first trailer for the upcoming Christmas movie The Christmas Chronicles, which stars Kurt Russell as a “cool, hip” version of Santa Claus and hails from Harry Potter and Mrs. Doubtfire filmmaker Chris Columbus, who produces the Netflix original feature. In the director’s chair is Clay Kaytis (The Angry Birds Movie), who steers the story of a brother and sister who plan to catch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, only to accidentally crash his sleigh. Now they must work with Santa to save Christmas before it’s too late.
This is basically the plot of the first act of The Santa Clause, albeit with some significant changes, but it doesn’t really matter if this premise can hold an entire movie or not because this is Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. That right there is your selling point, and it’s front and center in this here trailer.
In all honesty, Netflix getting into the cheesy Christmas movie game is an incredibly savvy decision. Each year, the Hallmark Channel rolls out dozens of sappy, predictable, cliché-riddled original movies, and a lot of people watch them. When it comes to Christmas movies, quality is not always the barometer of a film’s success. Sometimes folks just want to feel good and Christmas-y, and I would not be surprised if Netflix starts upping the ante with original holiday film material. And with a name like The Christmas Chronicles, you know there’s a sequel right around the corner.
Anyway, check out the Christmas Chronicles trailer below, followed by the poster. Written by Matt Lieberman, the film also stars Darby Camp and Judah Lewis. The Christmas Chronicles will be available only on Netflix on November 22nd.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Christmas Chronicles:
THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES, a holiday adventure from producer Chris Columbus (“Home Alone”, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone") and director Clay Kaytis ("The Angry Birds Movie"), tells the story of sister and brother, Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis), whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about. After staking out Santa’s arrival, they sneak into his sleigh, cause it to crash and nearly derail Christmas. As their wild night unfolds, Kate and Teddy work together with Santa - as you've never seen him before - and his loyal Elves to save Christmas before it's too late.
