Did you ever watch “Escape From New York” and say to yourself, “If only Old Saint Nick was more like post-apocalyptic badass Snake Plissken”...?
Wonder no more.
Producer Chris Columbus (who directed “Home Alone” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) is gifting viewers a new holiday movie titled “The Christmas Chronicles” — which looks to be Netflix’s answer to Disney’s “The Santa Clause” franchise.
Kurt Russell plays Santa Claus in “The Christmas Chronicles.” For those of you who suffered through Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” you know Russell has no problem pulling off a bushy white beard.
The first trailer for the movie dropped today. It is set to debut on the streaming service Nov. 22.
“The Christmas Chronicles” is aimed squarely at family audiences (something Netflix is said to crave in its subscriber base).
Russell’s Claus looks to have a snarky edge — not as naughty as Billy Bob Thornton in “Bad Santa,” and not nearly as nice as Tim Allen’s “Pere Noel” in “The Santa Clause.”
I’m always a bit skeptical of Netflix original movies. Be that as it may, “The Christmas Chronicles” looks like fun.
In 2017, Netflix featured two original holiday titles — “Christmas Inheritance” and “A Christmas Prince.” Both felt like they would have been at home in the Hallmark Channel’s lineup.
While neither movie was high art, Bridget and I enjoyed them. They epitomize the sort of “comfort food” viewers devour over the holidays.
“The Christmas Chronicles” looks to amp up the production value and spectacle. It might turn out to be a big lump of coal, but the trailer looks promising.
It’s no secret I’m a fan of schmaltzy Christmas movies like “The Santa Clause,” and am happy to see Netflix working on more holiday fare.
I mean, how can you not be intrigued by a gruff Russell interacting with computer-generated elves?
As a fan of Russell’s highly-underrated comedy “Captain Ron,” I'm looking forward to his turn as Santa Clause.
But don’t take my word for it. Pour some egg nog, switch on the gas log, and check out “The Christmas Chronicles” trailer for yourself:
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