The expensive box office misfire Santa Claus: The Movie gets a fresh chance to impress, with a 4K restoration, cinema release and 4K disc incoming.
Recent times have seen a growing reappraisal of the big budget 1985 festive film Santa Claus: The Movie. Put together by the Salkind brothers, off the back of their success with the Superman movies, it was shot in the UK using the same crews, with Supergirl’s Jeannot Szwarc directing.
Dudley Moore stars at Patch the Elf, with John Lithgow playing Santa. And there’s some foreshadowing, watching the film now, of the Jeff Bezos era of commerce in it, too. Santa Claus: The Movie has turned out to be a mildly prescient film.
For those who’ve never had the chance to see the film on the big screen, there’s news that Santa Claus: The Movie is getting a cinema re-release this Christmas, nearly 40 years after it first debuted to snotty reviews and underwhelming box office (the latter a particular disappointment to its backers, given the film cost around $50m to make in 1980s money).
Friday 24th November is the date to mark in your diary if you want to catch the movie on the big screen. Furthermore, for the first time, it’s coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as well, with its 4K remaster on disc from Monday 13th November.
No word on any extra features on the disc, but you can find out more information on the release – and order yourself a copy – right here.
The official synopsis for the disc release, which we’ll leave you with, reads as follows…
In this stunning UHD 4K release of Santa Claus: The Movie, viewers will witness every detail of the film’s enchanting landscapes, whimsical characters, and dazzling special effects with unparalleled clarity and vibrancy. It’s a Christmas treat for the senses. SANTA CLAUS: THE MOVIE (1985) a Christmas family favourite, Stars Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. This is the story of how a common woodcutter becomes the legendary Father Christmas. With a fantastical toy workshop run by elves and a herdof flying reindeer, Santa Claus has vowed to ensure that all good children are rewarded at Christmas. But the holiday season soon comes under threat when a rebellious but naïve elf called Patch (Dudley Moore) runs away to modern day New York. Lost in a world he doesn’t understand, Patch finds himself being exploited by a villainous toy manufacturer (John Lithgow). Could this be the end of Christmas or will its spirit prevail?
Ho ho ho!
Read more: The unspoken horrors of Disney’s Santa Clause trilogy
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