Disney has announced today that Matilda Lawler will join the cast of The Santa Clause, an upcoming series on Disney+. Lawler will be joining Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Kal Penn as a series regular.
The Santa Clause TV series depicts Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, who is Santa Claus, but he’s also 65 and in need of a replacement – quickly. As he gets closer to retirement, Santa is starting to lose his magic, putting the future of the North Pole and the entirety of Christmas in jeopardy. Also, Scott and his family are itching for a life outside of the North Pole. The series follows Scott as he sets out to find a suitable replacement before it’s too late.
Matilda Lawler as Betty the Elf
In The Santa Clause, Matilda Lawler, who has previously starred in Station Eleven and The Block Island Sound, is slated to play Betty, Santa’s chief of staff. Betty, who Deadline describes as “acerbic” and “just a little bit humorless,” is the elf in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly in the North Pole – from managing Santa to making the reindeer leave on time.
Additional cast members include Elizabeth Mitchell as Carol Calvin, aka Mrs. Claus, and Kal Penn as Simon Choski, a gnome tech-wizard, and single father. The series will be produced by Small Dog Picture under Jason Winer and Jon Radler (The Big Leap). The Santa Clause will be a part of 20th Television, under Disney Television Studios.
The Santa Clause on Disney+ will follow in the footsteps of The Santa Clause movies: The Santa Clause (1994), The Santa Clause 2 (2002), and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006). The movies follow Scott Calvin as he becomes Santa, while the new TV series will show his retirement.
The Santa Clause on Disney+ was first announced in January 2022, and a release date is currently unknown.
