The holiday season has introduced some iconic films that have since stood the test of time, offering lifelong lessons about family and doing the right thing. However, even with its fair share of classics, Disney doesn't have a huge collection of holiday films. Even still, one of its most famous started a franchise that has now spun off into a new TV series on Disney+, The Santa Clause.
Released in 1994, The Santa Clause was a film about Scott Calvin, who spent much of his time at work and had grown distant from his young son. But as the two spent Christmas together, their lives changed when Scott found a man dressed as Santa on his roof. Startling the man, Santa slipped and fell into the snow below and faded away, leaving only his jacket. But this event changed Scott forever after he put the coat on because the man who fell was the real Santa, and now he had to take up his duties for the foreseeable future. While the fate of the first Santa is used for comedic effect, the film's original draft was much darker than expected.
What Originally Happened To Santa Claus in the Disney Movie?
In the first draft of The Santa Clause, Scott still went to inspect the roof at the behest of his son. But Scott, a very literal-thinking man, walked out armed with a shotgun. Seeing a man on the roof, he fired the gun, and Tim Allen explained that he had winged Santa. That caused the man to fall from the top, breaking his neck rather than landing hard in the snow. This origin is obviously much darker at a glance but also would've left an ominous cloud over the film.
Had the original fate of Santa remained, not only would the tone changed, but the entire direction of the movie would've changed as well. Instead of the message the film tried to convey, there would've been a darkness that wouldn't be forgotten and might've even detracted from the rest of the film as audiences would only remember how Tim Allen shot Santa Claus. However, changing the story to the one shown opened many more doors for the franchise that are still used today.
The Santa Clause Changed Its Ending for the Better
Santa having an end that seemed more magical than tragic allowed Scott to be a skeptical man turned believer. Even better is how he continues to question these events even as they're happening in front of him. To Scott, he killed Santa by scaring him. But in reality, magic simply ended his tenure, and Scott took his place. It added to the wonder surrounding the holiday and created a chance for Scott and his son to continue to bond.
Furthermore, the brand of humor surrounding Santa's end, while still dark, wasn't nearly as grim as the initial draft. As a result, it allowed Allen's more blunt humor to shine through in a family-friendly environment and give Santa some much-deserved edge. Ultimately, The Santa Clause has remained a Christmas classic and changing its ending to one more lighthearted undoubtedly played a large role in that.