Tagline: Twas the fight before Christmas.
Holiday magic mixes with comical chaos at the North Pole in “The Santa Clause 3.” Tim Allen reprises his role of Scott Calvin-AKA Santa-as he juggles a full house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short), whose chilling Santa envy has him trying to take over the “big guy’s” holiday.
At the risk of giving away its secret location, Scott invites his in-laws, Sylvia and Bud Newman (Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin), to the North Pole to share in the holiday festivities and be near their daughter, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell)-AKA Mrs. Claus-as she prepares for the eagerly anticipated birth of baby Claus.
Along for the adventure are Scott’s extended family: son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), ex-wife Laura Miller (Wendy Crewson), her husband Neil (Judge Reinhold), and their daughter, Lucy (Liliana Mumy), who together with head elf Curtis (Spencer Breslin), must foil Jack Frost’s crafty scheme to control the North Pole.
Walt Disney Pictures presents “The Santa Clause 3,” directed by Michael Lembeck from a screenplay by Ed Decter and John J. Strauss. Producers are Brian Reilly, Bobby Newmyer and Jeffrey Silver. Even with the success of 1994’s “The Santa Clause” and 2002’s “The Santa Clause 2,” Tim Allen wasn’t convinced that he should don the 75-pound Santa suit once again and go back to the North Pole for a third time. But a meeting with Disney executives changed his mind.
“I didn’t think I would do another `Santa Clause.’ I’m not interested in doing the same story,” says Allen. “But we started hashing out ideas at the meeting. Then I said, `I wonder what it would be like without Santa Clause? How weird would it be to not have this great mythical figure in the world?’ That struck a chord with all of us.”
The concept-which resembled a modern-day take on the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”-gained momentum. “I’m like a kid,” admits Allen. “I want to see the North Pole, too. In `The Santa Clause 3,’ we decided we were going to shoot inside the North Pole even more, and get to know more about my family and my relationship with Mrs. Claus.”
“The Santa Clause 3” finds Santa taking on new challenges as his family continues to grow. He is faced with the hefty double responsibility of keeping peace within his blended brood while preventing Jack Frost (Martin Short), who makes his debut in this third installment, from exploiting Santa’s stressed state and taking over Christmas.
“I get to a point in my career as Santa where the mortal side of me starts to show,” says Allen of his character. “There’s too much conflict at the North Pole.”
Ultimately, Santa Claus and Jack Frost switch places, and “you get to see what the world would be like if Jack Frost ran the North Pole,” says Allen. “Believe me, you don’t want to see that world!”
Having Tim Allen aboard the third installment of “The Santa Clause” was vital to its success. The popular star of the beloved ABC series “Home Improvement” and hit movies such as “Toy Story” and “Galaxy Quest,” Allen has now made the character of Santa his own. So what is it about Tim Allen as this jelly-bellied, rosy-cheeked icon that strikes a chord in all of us?
“It’s simple,” says producer Brian Reilly, who has been part of all three “Santa Clause” films. “Tim has a great gift for making us all laugh. These movies created a place for themselves in the holiday season. In this North Pole world, audiences just love Tim Allen.”
Continues executive producer William W. Wilson III, “From the moment Tim Allen transformed into Santa Claus in the first movie, he embodied the part. He’s funny, and he has heart, and that is what struck a chord with so many people. Hopefully audiences will want to continue to watch Santa’s journey.”
“An amazing thing happens when Tim gets in the Santa suit,” adds director Michael Lembeck. “He literally, totally inhabits the character. There’s something about Tim playing that role-he becomes that loveable icon.”
Like Allen, Lembeck, who directed “The Santa Clause 2,” came aboard for North Pole visit number three. Lembeck has his own opinions about what makes the “Santa Clause” franchise so successful. “It’s hard to define what lightning in a bottle is,” says the director. “But the audience loves our honesty, our entertainment value, our dramatic content, and our comedy.
“We give the audience really loveable characters,” he adds, “and now we’ve got a wonderful villain to root against.”
But Lembeck also likes to keep it real in this magical world. “We ground our fantasy premise in a lot of real-life thematic material,” he says, “like how to juggle work and family.”
Lembeck was also looking forward to seeing some old friends from “The Santa Clause 2.” “When you get together again, it’s as if you just saw each other,” he says. “We never missed a step. We got right back into being comfortable with each other, and enjoying one another, and it made the work so easy. Everybody was really just licking their chops to get back together.”
The filmmakers knew they needed Lembeck’s Energizer Bunny-like enthusiasm on set to make “The Santa Clause 3” a winner. “Michael is so open and collaborative. He has his vision and knows what he wants,” says Brian Reilly. “He allows the actors to play, and as a result we have performances that touch your heart. His positive attitude is infectious.”
“He is one of the greatest directors that I have ever worked with,” says costume designer Ingrid Ferrin. “He believes in the story that he wants to tell.”
Old Friends and New Faces
For this third go-round, the filmmakers put together a stellar ensemble that combined stars from the previous “Santa Clause” films with several first-rate additions.
“It’s a tremendous cast-Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin, Marty Short-just to name three,” says Tim Allen. “This is a great group of actors. It’s amazing to see how well Michael Lembeck put this terrific cast together.”
“It is something special when a director knows how to bring a great cast together, and understands the magic that can happen between different people,” adds Ingrid Ferrin.
The new cast members are highlighted by Martin Short, who from “SCTV” to “Saturday Night Live” to feature films like “Jiminy Glick in Lalawood” has been making Americans laugh for over 20 years. The character of Jack Frost was too scrumptious for Short to resist. “Jack feels he’s just as qualified as Santa and has all this untapped potential-he just hasn’t been given his moment yet.”
Despite being labeled as the villain at the North Pole, Jack Frost has charm to spare. “He’s almost lovable in a sleazy, cheesy sort of way,” explains Short. “He’s constantly sucking up to people, but none of it is sincere. I don’t think there’s an honest bone in his body.
Executive Producer William W. Wilson III raves, “Marty is funny, hardworking and gives it his all 100 percent of the time. He literally threw himself into the part.”
Rounding out the newcomers are the incomparable Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin as Sylvia and Bud, Santa’s in-laws. Joining the freshmen were several actors who returned from previous “Santa Clause” sojourns, including Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus, Judge Reinhold as psychobabbler Dr. Neil Miller, and Wendy Crewson as his wife, Laura. Also returning were Spencer Breslin as trusty elf Curtis, Eric Lloyd as Charlie Calvin and Liliana Mumy as Lucy Miller.
“It really does feel like a big family reunion,” says Elizabeth Mitchell. “It was great to see everybody and to hear what’s happening in their lives.”
Mitchell had her own personal news to share-she gave birth to her first child six weeks before shooting began. It wasn’t a big stretch, therefore, for Mitchell to return to the North Pole as an expectant Mrs. Claus.
“It felt great to come back after having the baby, and to get to wear big clothes,” says Mitchell. “I was really happy.”
Judge Reinhold, who reprises his role as Neil Miller from the original film, thinks the third installment may be the best yet. “It’s more whimsical, and there’s a lot of new elements,” says the actor. “It’s got more comic energy. There’s something a little wilder about it.”
Reinhold, who has come to accept that by portraying Dr. Miller he is not only recognized for being a permanent part of Christmas but also for “really ugly sweaters,” gets to take his character to New (Age) heights in “The Santa Clause 3.”
“It takes Neil maybe 30 minutes after he arrives at the North Pole to begin conducting an elf yoga class,” says Reinhold. “He takes it upon himself to make sure that elfin stress levels are managed. He’s been reading a bit too much Deepak Chopra.”
Wendy Crewson is back as Scott’s ex-wife Laura, who makes her first visit to the North Pole along with husband Neil and daughter Lucy. One element of the script that Crewson particularly admires is the positive message that the blended Calvin/Miller/Claus family sends to audiences.
“This is a perfect tale for today,” she explains. “This modern, divorced family gets along so well, and I love that aspect of the story. I really think this movie is the guide to a good divorce! It’s a good lesson for today’s audience.”
Spencer Breslin reprises his role as Curtis from “The Santa Clause 2.” The bespectacled assistant has now landed the plum assignment of Santa’s Head Elf.
“Curtis got a promotion for his 900th birthday, I think. Now he’s the number one elf, and he likes the power,” says Breslin of his character. “But although he may get a little crazy sometimes, he would never try to steal Christmas from the big guy like Jack Frost.”
“Spencer is a 55-year-old man in a 13-year-old’s body,” laughs producer Brian Reilly. “He has such authority, and he is so good at what he does.”
Liliana Mumy, whose real-life dad is Bill Mumy, AKA `Will Robinson’ from the famous 1960’s television series “Lost in Space,” is glad that her returning character, Lucy, gets an opportunity to visit the North Pole this time around.
“In the last movie I didn’t get to go to the North Pole. I am so glad I got to go this time because it looks so cool,” she says. “It’s so big, and when you walk around you keep noticing new things.”
About her co-star Eric Lloyd, who originated the role of Scott Calvin’s son and Lucy’s older brother, Charlie, at the age of eight in “The Santa Clause,” Liliana says, “He’s changed so much from the last movie. He’s in college now. He teases me a little bit, but that’s okay with me.”
Executive producer William W. Wilson III admires the contributions of the younger cast members. “Spencer and Liliana-and also Abigail Breslin, Spencer’s little sister in real life who also has a role in the film-are such professionals. They give such honest performances in our fantasy world.”
Adds Reilly, “Liliana Mumy is so wide-eyed, I think there is a part of her that thinks she is actually in the North Pole. She is a genuine child. She loves what she’s doing.”
Also reuniting for “The Santa Clause 3” is the Council of Legendary Figures, comprised of Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler), Father Time (Peter Boyle), Easter Bunny (Jay Thomas), Cupid (Kevin Pollak), Tooth Fairy (Art La Fleur) and Sandman (Michael Dorn).
A Very Merry Christmas: On the “Santa Clause 3” Set
Production began on “The Santa Clause 3” in November 2005 at Downey Studios, where the unit would remain for the duration of the shoot. As temporary home to such skilled comedic actors as Tim Allen, Martin Short, Jay Thomas and Kevin Pollak, in addition hundreds of children and sets that looked like something out of a Currier & Ives fantasy, the “Santa Clause” set often felt like a giant holiday circus.
“It was a happy set,” says Elizabeth Mitchell. “The kids in their elf ears were just adorable. Tim and Marty were hilarious. It was really fun.”
Indeed, Allen and Short were the source of much of the high spirits and hilarity. “Watching Martin and Tim work is kind of like watching one of those Japanese horror films, like King Kong meets Godzilla. They’re hilarious,” says Judge Reinhold. “It’s really hard to maintain a straight face when they’re working together. They go off the script right away. You have no idea where it’s going, but it’s always funny.”
Allen and Short starred alongside each other previously, in the 1997 comedy “Jungle 2 Jungle.” Remembering the offstage hijinks that occurred on that production, Allen warned director Michael Lembeck that reteaming him with Short was a recipe for nonstop silliness when the cameras stopped rolling.
“Our days were longer because we laughed so much,” confesses Lembeck, “but that’s a good reason to have a longer day.”
“Marty and I together in costume created some funny moments that are never going to be shown, believe me,” says Allen. “Like the banter between us when we screwed up-which happened a lot, because we’d be joking right up to the word `action.’
“We laughed so hard that eventually everyone got tired of us,” continues Allen with a smile. “We, of course, thought we were the funniest things on the planet.”
For his part, Short was a willing participant in the amusement. “What I love about Tim is the positive energy he brings to the set,” he says. “Tim is really there to have fun. I appreciate anyone who brings a sense of joy and play to his work, because that’s what it should be about.”
“Working with Tim is as delicious an experience as I can have as a professional,” echoes Michael Lembeck, who was an actor for 25 years before turning to directing. “He and I are always busting each other’s chops and taking really loving, fun shots at one another. Tim makes me laugh all day long, but making him laugh is such a joy for me, and it also seems to put him at ease. We have a wonderful working relationship.”
Another major presence on the set of “The Santa Clause 3” were Santa’s ubiquitous elves. This third installment of the franchise featured more elves-23 different kinds of North Pole helpers in all, from architect elves to yoga elves-than ever before.
Thousands of children from age six to twelve were seen at open calls to be cast as one of the North Pole elves. Director Michael Lembeck looked at 5,000 photos of young hopefuls, most of whom had never acted before.
“I wanted fresh faces that had a fresh, enthusiastic attitude,” says Lembeck, “just like a North Pole elf would.”
Lembeck narrowed the field down to 500 kids. A 20,000 square foot warehouse space at Downey Studios was converted into a headquarters for these background players and their parents and was appropriately named “Elfland” by crew members.
The children and their parents would arrive in the wee hours of the morning to check in with one of the nine elf wrangler production assistants, at which point they were directed to go to one of 40 elf hair and make-up stations, wardrobe, or school. Eight large classrooms and study halls were set up at Elfland, each named after one of Santa’s reindeer.
Just before going into hair and make-up, the elf extra picked up his or her elf ears from a 64-foot wall that displayed each child’s individually crafted pair in plastic baggies. Each pair took 15 minutes to apply. The hectic hair, make-up and wardrobe process had to run like clockwork so that all the children would be camera-ready in time for shooting. On some shooting days, nearly 300 children were transformed into North Pole elves at one time.
Once on set, the children had a skilled and compassionate leader in Michael Lembeck. “I see Michael Lembeck as a conductor as much as I do a director, because the scenes are so involved, and there’s so much background,” says Judge Reinhold. “I’m very impressed with the way he dealt with the kids. He knows a lot of their names and keeps them loose.”
Some of the film’s stars had to endure their own-much lengthier-hair, make-up and wardrobe schedules. It took four hours to bring about Tim Allen’s Santa transformation, which involved the application of pre-molded, soft foam latex prosthetics. Once glued in place, the edges of the prosthetics were blended to match Allen’s adjacent skin tones. Then Santa’s beard, eyebrows and wig, all made from a combination of human and yak hair, were applied. Martin Short and Jay Thomas required nearly as much time to metamorphose into Jack Frost and Easter Bunny, respectively.
Magic, Majesty and Imagination: Designing the “Santa Clause 3” World. “I think one of the stars of `The Santa Clause 3′ is production designer Richard J. Holland,” says Judge Reinhold. “A lot of this movie came right out of his imagination, and it’s quite a wild imagination.”
On “The Santa Clause 3,” Holland’s imagination had to work overtime. Only about ten percent of the original “Santa Clause” took place in the North Pole. In “The Santa Clause 2,” about 50 percent took place there. In this installment, about 90 percent of the story is set in the North Pole.
“It was important to me to introduce a sense of magic and majesty, as well as create a beautiful colorful world on `The Santa Clause 3′ set,” says Holland.
Holland drew inspiration from his own childhood experiences. “When I was a kid, my uncle used to dress up as Santa Claus-but I didn’t know it was my uncle. I thought it was really Santa Claus,” he remembers. “I would look up in the sky to see if I could get a glimpse of his sleigh. That was the kind of magic I wanted to create for `The Santa Clause 3.’”
“Richard J. Holland is a child in a somewhat older body,” says Brian Reilly. “He glowed at the opportunity to build the North Pole. His designs are simply fabulous.”
Within this fantastical world, Holland knew that everything had to look and feel real. He constructed models and drew illustrations to bring his concepts to life. “With the models, the filmmakers and I can communicate while looking at the 3-D world. Being able to stage a scene without being on set helped me sell my ideas.”
Holland and his team created a palette of 91 different colors that both the art department and the wardrobe department would adhere to in creating every set piece and stitch of clothing for Santa’s North Pole. Holland was fond of adding gold flourishes, which represented “majesty and sense of wealth,” he says. “This majesty sustains the magic and wonderment of the North Pole legend.
“I created a blank canvas, and started to add the color,” says Holland, who paints as a hobby. “Then I put the pieces of the puzzle together little by little.”
The biggest North Pole set was Elfsburg Village, which took 12 weeks to build. The town was complete with an Elf Shoe Shop and Elfsburg Spa, which displayed photos of Elves undergoing beauty treatments in the windows.
Hundreds of toys also decorated Elfsburg-everything from a baby ice skate to a wooden toy soldier to a hair comb. There were no plastic toys in Elfsburg-the art department hunted for traditional, finely crafted toys that, of course, matched Holland’s 91-color palette. In fact, most of the props in “The Santa Clause 3”-from the reindeer collars and bridles to the wooden pop guns, tin drums and jack-in-the-boxes in Santa’s workshop-were handcrafted or in some way unique.
Anchoring Elfsburg Village was a magnificent carousel that featured an eye-popping array of ornaments, Christmas trees, presents, and reindeer in lieu of horses. “Every medieval village has a well, which is the community hub of the town,” says Holland. “The carousel was like the well of our village.”
And of course, what would Elfsburg Village be without snow-and lots of it. To create the winter wonderland, the special effects department had to cover the twinkling town with an assortment of materials that, when mixed and matched, produced a suitably snowy look.
The success of this effect was particularly important to Michael Lembeck, who felt the snow in “The Santa Clause 2” was too flat. The director wanted something more billowy that didn’t look like it was made on a sound stage.
SFX coordinator Al Broussard was in charge of the task. On top of tons of white limestone sand, the effects department poured even more tons of Epsom salt to provide a textured base. Over 100 pounds of mica glitter flakes were then added, giving the “snow” sparkle. Thousands of square feet of white poly and cotton blanket were used to create a snowy look on rooftops, banisters, and ledges. The icicles were made out of a resin mixture that is mixed with the fake snow and molded with different types of paper so no two are alike.
Santa’s kitchen was another major set piece on Holland’s docket. “I had this idea that Santa’s kitchen was a magical world where the all the egg nog, cocoa and cookies are made,” says Holland. “Lembeck liked it and told me to go for it.”
Holland always felt supported by his director. “Michael lets you get completely creatively immersed,” says Holland. “Your input matters to him.”
The filmmakers didn’t want the machines in Santa’s kitchen to look like scientific laboratory equipment. “They needed to reflect a childish quality,” says Holland. “Michael wants people to have fun and the sets to have a sense of humor.”
Almost everything about the kitchen set-which is also the location of the all-important meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures-was larger than life. It featured a giant 450-gallon capacity mixing bowl and a 24-foot long cookie tray. Every tabletop was decorated with candy-studded gingerbread houses, hundreds of fresh baked cookies, fluffy frosted cakes and other holiday goodies. All props-but they still would have made Martha Stewart jealous.
Another huge task for Holland and his team was creating the North Pole Resort. Having taken over for Santa and re-christened himself “Santa Frost,” Jack Frost turns the big guy’s warm, cozy and quaint North Pole into a paean to crass, commercialized excess.
Holland and Lembeck agreed that Jack Frost’s North Pole Resort should represent a 360-degree shift in aesthetics from Elfsburg Village. And it does: sweet-smelling pine Christmas trees have been replaced with fake metal versions in various metallic colors, and too-bright hues assault visitors at every turn. Garish neon lights illuminate the many kiosks-the Reindeer Petting Zoo, Santa Stills, The Nice List, Build-A-Bear, Wild Glacier’s Slippery Slides-where, for a fee, you too can enjoy Christmas.
Says Executive Producer William W. Wilson III, “Jack Frost turns the North Pole into an amusement park. It is no longer the magical workshop of happy elves making happy toys for the children of the world.”
“The North Pole Resort is all about commercialism,” adds Holland. “Neon bulbs, cold colors, just like Frost’s cold and calculating soul. We used lots of blue tones. It wasn’t about tiny hammers like in the traditional North Pole, but about electric drills.”
Smack in the middle of Frost’s overblown theme park is an enormous stage illuminated by an obnoxious, flashing “Santa” sign. Here, in the film’s dazzling production number, Jack belts out “North Pole, North Pole” to the tune of the famous “New York, New York,” flanked by his Elfette dancers.
“It’s a big, Broadway kind of musical number, and it’s hilarious,” says Lembeck. “At the end of it Frost is literally kicked off the stage by our hero Scott, who swings in and starts a fight. It’s one of those wonderful, big, burlesque scenes.”
“Jack Frost is wickedly fun. You love to hate him,” says Brian Reilly. “In this dance number scene in particular, Martin Short really turns on the charm.”
“It was fun,” says Short of the scene. “I perform and sing on stage and on Broadway, so doing a big number like that was hilarious. You forget that you’re in prosthetics and a costume and you just do it.
“At that point, Jack Frost is such a cheeseball,” adds Short, who comes from a theater background. “But this is his moment.”
Frost’s dozen Elfettes were from the Irvine Dance Academy. Says choreographer Kay Cole, “Michael wanted to cast a group of girls who already had chemistry between them, and the kind of interaction that you just can’t teach in a short period of time-like the Radio City Rockettes.”
Cole and Lembeck sifted through dozens of tapes of young dance troupes, looking for that something special. They found it in this group of talented Southern California ten-year-olds who had been dancing together for five years. Their leader had sent in a tape from a national dance competition they had recently won in Las Vegas.
When asked if they are excited to be in a movie, The Elfettes giggle excitedly. “We can’t wait to see ourselves on the big screen. This is the coolest thing ever to be in a movie.”
Two Santas, One Jack Frost and 23 Kinds of Elves: Creating the North Pole Costumes
Like Holland, costume designer Ingrid Ferrin, who also designed the wardrobe for “The Santa Clause 2,” faced new challenges on this third installment. Because so much of “The Santa Clause 3” takes place at the North Pole, Ferrin couldn’t just dust off the costumes from the second movie and roll them into the third one. The designer was presented with a whole new world, and she had to expand her vision accordingly.
“As Michael Lembeck started working in more detail on the script, he began creating new elf characters. He broke the elves down into smaller groups, like architect elves, baker elves, carpenter elves, firemen elves, naughty & nice elves, wrapping elves, and even yoga elves, to name a few,” says Ferrin. “Suddenly it wasn’t just a workshop of elves-I had to create an entire elf community.
“But I loved that challenge,” she adds.
All told, Ferrin had 25 new characters to outfit, including Jack Frost. All of the elf costumes were handmade, necessitating a crew of up to 30 dressers, a workroom of over 12 people and a full-service tailor shop. Over three miles of fabric were needed to create all of the “Santa Clause 3” costumes.
Ferrin and her team got a little help here and there. The kitchen elves wore the popular, flexible rubber shoes known as Crocs in red because the Boulder, Colorado-based company sent a special delivery of them to the wardrobe department for use in the movie. Other shoes, like the pointy elf slippers with bells, were left over from “The Santa Clause 2.”
Like the art department, Ferrin and her crew worked within the 91-color palette (all the better, because director Michael Lembeck told Ferrin that he didn’t want to see costumes that featured the classic Christmas pairing of red and green). She and her team, including costume supervisor Pam Wise, stayed away from bright colors and began using muted tones in fabrics like velvets and cottons. The wardrobe department even had their own textile designer.
“The whole world of Santa’s North Pole is all about color and texture, and to have the luxury of our own textile designer was incredible,” raves Ferrin. “We were able to start with a blank canvas like white velvet and create whatever we wanted. We don’t get an opportunity to design with no limits very often. But then again, that is the kind of environment that Michael Lembeck creates for his crew.”
Ferrin gave many of the textiles texture by utilizing a medieval embossing technique known as gauffrage. This technique gave items like Santa’s sleigh blanket a rich and royal look.
In addition, “I based many of my ideas on Carl Larsson’s paintings,” says Ferrin, referring to the popular Swedish artist who worked during the late 19th century. “He had eight children whom he painted and drew constantly.”
In order to create the costume for Jack Frost, Ferrin had to draw from entirely different sources. At first, the costume featured a large, luxurious cape.
“The filmmakers were experimenting with how sinister and evil Jack should look. The first look with the cape was more whimsical,” explains Martin Short. “I think they wanted a sleeker, slightly sleazier look, so they went for something that had kind of a zoot suit feel to it. I think the second look is better.”
“I felt like Jack Frost was trying very, very hard-almost like he made this suit prior to meeting with his fellow Legendary Figures to impress them, because he knew his days were numbered,” says Ferrin of the decision to put Jack Frost in the shiny blue outfit. “He also needed to fit into the real world.”
For Ferrin, working with Martin Short was a delight. “Martin has played over 1,000 characters in his illustrious career,” she says. “He is forever discovering different things about what his character could be. He loves the process of prosthetics, hair, make-up, wardrobe and jumping into the character he is going to play.”
Ultimately, Short donned ice blue contacts, a wig featuring a shock of blue-white hair, a facial prosthetic and fake blue-white eyebrows dotted with tiny fake ice chunks to complete the look for Jack Frost.
Then there was the “Santa Frost” costume, which made Short look so much like the real Santa that it fooled even Tim Allen.
“This guy came into my motor coach, and I just thought he was a double of me or something,” recalls Allen. “He sat there for about 15 minutes, and eventually he goes, `Tim, it’s me, Marty.’ I didn’t recognize him! The both of us sat there and said, `so this is what it’s come to-50-year-old men dressed like elves.’”
Ferrin’s wardrobe challenges changed from set to set. The elves’ wardrobe at The North Pole Resort, for example, had to reflect Jack Frost’s commercial take on things. Prompted by an idea from Michael Lembeck, Ferrin and her team created North Pole Resort shirts and souvenirs in chilly colors like lavender, purple and blue.
“We made these ugly North Pole Resort golf shirts, and the elves wore them over their real elf costumes,” says Ferrin. “The little elves looked so sad, like they were wearing their dad’s oversized shirt, only with advertising right on the front. They are just hysterical.”
Ferrin relished designing the wardrobe for the Elfettes. “The Elfette costumes became the epitome of cheap and cheerful,” she explains. “We bought little bright red Santa costumes from Hollywood Toy Shop and added tinsel and Christmas ribbon. Our goal was to make them feel generic, as opposed to the magical elves of the North Pole.”
Both Holland and Ferrin felt blessed that Lembeck had brought cinematographer Robbie Greenberg, ASC, on board to join “The Santa Clause 3” team. “We worked closely with Robbie on the different colors and how warm or soft they should look on camera,” says Holland. “He was just as much into the detail of the sets and the costumes as Ingrid and I were.
“It was up to Robbie to complete the magic and make everything look like the beautiful winter wonderland of fairy tales.”
Fortunately, Tim Allen’s decision to don the red suit and white beard again proved to be the right one.
“I’ve had a terrific time,” he says. “There’s a great amount of love for the `Santa Clause’ projects shared by me, the creative team and the studio.
“The reason `The Santa Clause’ is successful,” he concludes, “is because we’re honest about the childlike qualities in all of us.”
These production notes provided by Walt Disney Pictures.
Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Starring: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Ann-Margret, Eric Lloyd, Spencer Breslin, Liliana Mumy, Alan Arkin, Martin Short
Directed by: Michael Lembeck
Screenplay by: Ed Decter
Release Date: November 3, 2006
MPAA Rating: G for general audience.
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $84,500,122 (76.3%)
Foreign: $26,268,000 (23.7%)
Total: $110,768,122 (Worldwide)