Other Titles • The Santa Clause 2 • The Escape Clause: The Santa Clause 2 (2002) • The Mrs. Clause: Santa Clause 2 (2001) • SC2 (2002) • The Santa Clause 2: The Escape Clause (2001) • The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause (2002) • Santa Clause 2 - Eine noch schönere Bescherung (2002)
Following the success of Disney’s 1994 hit "The Santa Clause," the producers naturally considered a sequel to the critically acclaimed box-office hit, but there was a caveat. "The only way we were going to do ‘The Santa Clause 2’ was if it was as original and charming, as full of heart and as funny as the first movie," says producer Brian Reilly. "The first film is so beloved by so many people – we didn’t want to take anything away from that."
"‘The Santa Clause’ was a great movie," says Tim Allen, "and we didn’t want to do a sequel until we thought we could match what we had done in the original. It wasn’t good enough to do a sequel just to do a sequel – it had to be an interesting movie in its own right." So, the producers took their time until a story worthy of the first film took form. "We finally found the special ingredients – where Santa has to find away to deal with being a dad in a time of crisis for his son, and balance that with keeping the North Pole running, for all the children of the world – that make this film stand on its own," adds Reilly.
"It’s every man’s and every woman’s dilemma of balancing family and work," says director Michael Lembeck. "Everybody can relate to that. When he finds out his son is in trouble, he has to leave the job and if he leaves the job, he’s going to disappoint and worry the elves and possibly risk the success of Christmas."
That said, the filmmakers never forgot that they were making a comedy. "We liked working on a heartwarming family film in which an overweight, white-bearded guy who talks to reindeer can still get a date with a really hot chick," say screenwriters Ed Decter and John Strauss.
Tim Allen was a driving force in bringing "The Santa Clause 2" to the screen. There’s a special place in his heart for the Santa character that he’s created. "I like this character because no one really knows what Santa’s like," says Allen. "So I can develop the character with my own sensibilities and my own memories. He’s a very generous and forgiving person who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, unlike me- and he isn’t a dishonest guy. He’s a very principled guy. So I play all the qualities I find adorable in other men," Allen wryly adds.
"This movie facilitates my style of acting," Allen notes, "because I’m actually going through the changes. I’m shedding weight, layers keep coming off and I feel different because I look different."
"Tim is a wickedly funny man," remarks co-star Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Carol, Santa’s love interest. "But when he becomes Santa, he has a twinkle in his eye. During shooting, he told me that this Santa is a beautiful Santa. I don’t think he was referring to himself or his acting. I think it’s just the way Santa comes across in the film. He’s a beautiful Santa – a Santa to love."
"Working with Tim is like going to camp every day," says Lembeck. "We laugh every day; we have fun every day; we enjoy ourselves every day. Between takes, he’s crazy funny.
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