When the first cast photo from the upcoming Santa Clause series for Disney+ was released, fans were a little upset that David Krumholtz was nowhere to be seen. The actor played Bernard the Elf in the first two movies in The Santa Clause franchise and quickly became a fan-favourite character. Fans can put down their torches and pitchforks as Deadline has announced that David Krumholtz will indeed to returning as Bernard the Elf in the Santa Clause series.
The Santa Clauses stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa and Elizabeth Mitchell as Carol Calvin/Mrs. Claus. The series will find Scott Calvin “on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.” The series also stars Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, Devin Bright as Noel, Austin Kane as Cal, Matilda Lawler as Betty, Rupali Redd as Grace, and Kal Penn as Simon Choski.
David Krumholtz played Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2 but didn’t return for The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. At the time, scheduling issues were to blame, but Krumholtz told Vulture last year that he also felt like the script “devalued” his character.
Bernard was in the third movie. They sent me the script. I had a pretty significant role. We did work out the schedule, which was going to be hellish on me, but I was going to make it work. And it was all set to go. But I would say that the character got devalued a little bit and I couldn’t in good conscience do it.
Despite not appearing in the third film, Krumholtz still has fond memories of being part of the Santa Clause legacy. “It’s wild to be part of something that’s lasted this long, that plays every single year and has become tradition in people’s homes,” he said. “I could never have imagined that I’d be having this conversation years later.” The Santa Clauses doesn’t have an official release date yet but is expected to premiere on Disney+ this Holiday season. Are you pleased to see that Bernard will be back for the Santa Clause series?