Kal Penn Joins ‘The Santa Clause’ Sequel Series At Disney+

According to Deadline, Kal Penn (the Harold and Kumar franchise) is the latest actor to join the fast-moving Santa Clause sequel series at Disney+.

He is the third actor to join the project after original cast members Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Penn will play a character by the name of Simon Choksi, who happens to be a single father, an ambitious game inventor, and product developer who wants to be next the Jeff Bezos. After a visit to the North Pole, however, his whole life is flipped upside down.

In the The Clauses, Scott Calvin is 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.

Based on the plot – and Penn’s character’s initials – it seems as if Penn’s character could be the one take over the role of the Santa Claus.

Last week, we exclusively reported that the series was entering production under the name The Clauses, a title that is expected to stick.

Given the franchise’s history with playing around with the double meaning of the word “clause” in each of its film’s titles, we’re inclined to believe that this name will stick. However, it remains to be seen if there will be yet another clause Scott must abide by in the new installment, especially since it is supposed to be focusing on him passing the mantle on to someone else.

Jason Winer will direct the series. Award-winning Jack Burditt (30 Rock, Modern Family, Frasier, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) is the executive producer and showrunner, and Kevin Hench (Last Man Standing), Richard Baker, and Rick Messina will also serve as executive producers alongside Tim Allen.

Production is slated to begin this month; however, with production being such a broad term, this could simply mean that the series will continue casting or begin its principal photography.

Considering how quickly momentum seems to building for this series, although unconfirmed, it seems likely Disney is aiming to have it done in time for this upcoming holiday season. We expect more announcements in the coming weeks.

SOURCE: Deadline