- In the 2018 Netflix holiday movie The Christmas Chronicles, Kurt Russell delighted audiences as a laid-back Santa Claus.
- Goldie Hawn, Russell's longtime partner, will once again play Mrs. Claus in the sequel.
- The Christmas Chronicles 2 will premiere on Netflix on November 25, 2020—but a new trailer hints at the plot.
Countless actors have donned Santa Claus's signature red suit and long white beard. But until Kurt Russell's performance in the 2018 Netflix movie The Christmas Chronicles, no actor has infused their Santa Claus with the spirit of a laid-back rock star—the kind who tells Dad jokes, yet somehow manages to retain his cool status.
Clearly, Russell was born to play Santa Claus. Luckily for us, a sequel to the instant holiday classic is imminent. The Christmas Chronicles 2 will drop on Netflix on November 25, right in time for the 2020 holiday season.
In an exciting progression, Goldie Hawn, Russell's partner of over 35 years, will be joining again as Mrs. Claus. Hawn made a brief cameo at the end of The Christmas Chronicles, teasing her involvement in a sequel. According to the announcement, Hawn will play a prominent role in the new movie: "It's time for Mrs. Claus to get her due," Netflix's Tweet reads.
The first trailer for The Christmas Chronicles 2 promises a high-octane family movie in the same vein as the first. Kate (Darby Camp), the same character featured in the first movie, is suddenly transported to the North Pole alongside Jack (Jahzir Bruno), the son of her mother's new boyfriend. Once deemed a "true believer" by Santa, Kate has grown up into a cynical teenager. But she'll step up when the heart of Christmas is, once again, at risk—this time, by Santa's holiday-hating cousin, Belsnickel (Julian Dennison of Deadpool).
Belsnickel is far from a Christmas Chronicles creation. Most Americans first heard of Belsnickel when Dwight Schrute dressed up as the rags-wearing mischief maker in an episode of The Office. However, Belsnickel is actually part a fixture of German folklore, kept alive by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
In addition to being a holiday movie, The Christmas Chronicles 2 will also be an ode to Hawn and Russell, one of Hollywood's longest-lasting and most beloved couples. They first met on set of a Disney movie at the start of their careers, in 1966, but they didn't begin dating until 1983 and have been together ever since.
According to Christmas Chronicles director Christopher Columbus, Hawn and Russell were a delight to have on set. “There’s a tremendous amount of respect there and a tremendous amount of love and trust, partially because they’ve been together for so long,” Columbus told People. “They just get along beautifully.”
There's a chance The Christmas Chronicles 2 will be even more of a Hawn/Russell family affair. Oliver Hudson, Hawn's son from a previous marriage, starred in The Christmas Chronicles as the father to the two lead children, and is set to reappear in the sequel. Oliver's siblings are both actors: There's Kate Hudson, of course, and Wyatt Hawn Russell, who also has many credits to his name.
“You never know," Columbus told People regarding possible cameos from other family members. We'll have to wait until November 25 to find out.
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