The Christmas Movie 2 is a 2025 animated Christmas musical fantasy film loosely based on the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. Directed by Brandon Greene from a screenplay by Greene and Matt Lieberman, and produced by The SPA Studios and 26th Street Pictures, and distributed by Netflix. A sequel to the 2023 film The Christmas Movie, it features J. K. Simmons and Maya Rudolph reprising their roles as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. Also reprising their roles are Jeremy Maguire, Justin Bieber, Becky G, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Abbi Jacobson, Chris Pratt, and Kelly Clarkson with new cast members Dolly Parton, Jimmy Fallon, Melody Hurd, Paul Rudd, Glenn Close, and Patrick Stewart. The film had a limited theatrical release prior to beginning to stream on Netflix on July 4, 2025 and received generally positive reviews from critics. A sequel, The Christmas Movie 3: Home for the Holidays, was released in 2036.
Plot[]
Two years have passed since the events of the last film. Ben and Patrick Hopeful are spending a family Christmas in a tropical resort called Noel Island with their parents Clark and Liz, their sisters Lisa and Clara, their dog Nick, their uncle Clem, and their grandmother Charity along with Teddy with her mother Katherine and her new boyfriend Edward, and his daughter Nia. At the North Pole, Santa Claus is running his workshop business smoothly with his wife Mrs. Claus and elves. Misinterpreting this as stress from overwork, Holly books a cruise so they can all take a break and spend more time together as a family. Santa, Mrs. Claus, Steve, Holly, and the other elves board a cruise ship to Noel Island (where the Hopeful family are at). At the island, Teddy wants to be back home where it's snowing and more like a real Christmas. She decides to run away and get an early flight back home to New York City. She catches a shuttle that Ben and Nia sneak on to.
Patrick went to go look for them and he meets the owner of the island Henry T. Noel and he offers Patrick tickets to the parade for him and his family. Patrick finds Ben, Teddy, and Nia but the four got captured by the tribe of primal elves and are about to eat them. On the same island, Steve finds out about this and he and Holly, along with the other elves Larry, Carl, Bob, Nellie, Elfie, and Trixie went to go rescue them. They were captured as well, but they manage to escape and rescue the kids from the elf tribe.
They meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and he reveals that the lost tribe are the elf ancestors that Holly’s parents went to find. Mrs. Claus and the elves manage to befriend the lost tribe elves. Despite this, the tribe couldn't resist to try to eat them. At a Christmas luau in a private and secret jungle on the lower decks, Carl mysteriously went missing. Steve accidentally releases Santa's magical pixies. When he opened the tube, the pixies escaped and he and Holly try to catch them. When Charity and the kids meet Henry's student and the current owner of Noel Island Lilith Lorrain, she recruits them to join the parade. With a blizzard from out of nowhere keeping Santa from getting to the circus, Teddy is worried. At their room Liz plays "Silver Bells", while Ben goes to sit on Charity's lap. Charity tells her grandkids stories about her beloved, deceased husband Doug, who always enjoyed Christmas even when he tried to pretend otherwise, and concludes by saying that Christmas Eve is the night she misses him the most. After finishing the song, Liz tells Clark that it is time for Clem to read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Clem is not at all keen about this, as he is tired of reading the story every year, but reluctantly reads it anyway.
Meanwhile next door, Katherine encourages Edward to have a chat with Teddy to cheer her up. During their bond, Teddy tells him that she misses her old dad so much that he couldn't be replaced. Edward sympathizes with her and tells her that's the same thing what Nia said. They both bond over this and it made their relationship better. The next morning, more of Santa's elves have mysteriously disappeared. Henry's assistant Snatcher recruits Teddy and Nia to steal money from the circus. Teddy is concerned but agrees to it. Lilith and her partner Buckaroo Bill are upset when Teddy tells them she and Nia stole the money, although Ben and Patrick doubt Teddy would lie to them. Seeing the pixies go in the Faux Club, two elves, Fred and Dexter, and one of Santa's reindeer, Dancer don disguises and sneak into the club, only to discover it's a hangout for all the now grown-up naughty kids in the past. After speaking to Wickes, they learn that he has abandoned his evil ways. Dancer goes dancing, but his disguise falls off and the three have to escape through a trash chute. The pixies show up and pull a garbage lever that dumps trash on them.
As Teddy walks along the seashore, Santa arrives and Teddy tells him the problems. Santa discovers the Noel Island's conspiracy and reveals Henry's true greedy nature. When he was young, he was hacking into kids' databases which ended up putting him on the naughty list. It is also revealed that he was the one who kidnapped the elves and turned them into savage green gremlins by using Santa's magical potion that he created (which became unstable). Meanwhile, Henry sends the first evil elf to attack Patrick and Teddy, until Mrs. Claus arrives with an antidote. The elves put the antidote in the snow reserves, and she, the elves and Patrick and Teddy hurry to Ben, Nia and Santa's aid. Henry takes advantage of Santa as well by lying and agreeing to help Ben in exchange for Santa's sack, with the intention of using its magic powers to create an army of toys. The manages to steal back the sack.
Santa, Ben, Patrick and Teddy return to the circus with a policeman who tells everyone Teddy and Nia are innocent, and everyone apologizes to them. Enraged, Henry arrives and before he tries to attack them, he uses his scepter filled with Santa's magic potion to become a gremlin himself (but giant sized and with wings). Santa's elves, the lost tribe elves and the pixies then come across the scene and a fight breaks out between them and gremlin elves. The elves use snow guns to restore their friends and families to their normal state. Henry is confronted by Santa. Santa and Lilith ask Henry to redeem himself, but he refuses. Henry charges, but Lilith throws her guns at his scepter, breaking it and causing him to turn into a mouse. Once Henry is defeated, Snatcher is arrested. Before Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves leave to go back to the North Pole, Lilith lets Santa lead the flying circus parade to thank him and the kids for getting the circus out of debt and the lost tribe elves now both work at Noel Island and sending letters to Santa. Ben and Patrick returned to their family, and they inform an excited Clark and Charity about their adventure and Teddy becomes more accepting of Edward as her new stepdad.
Both the Hopeful family and the Moore family continue enjoying their Christmas vacation and Ben, Patrick and Teddy watch Santa on his sleigh riding over the moon.
Voice cast[]
- J. K. Simmons as Santa Claus, a magical figure who brings presents for people at Christmas night, when they are asleep.
- Maya Rudolph as Mrs. Claus, the wife of Santa Claus.
- Jeremy Maguire as Benjamin "Ben" Hopeful, a boy who previously helped Santa Claus in the last movie.
- Justin Bieber as Patrick Hopeful, a former skeptic turned believer and the older brother of Ben.
- Becky G as Theodora “Teddy” Moore, Katherine’s daughter and Patrick’s girlfriend.
- Melody Hurd as Nia Brooks, the daughter of Edward.
- Will Arnett as Clark Hopeful, the father of Ben and Patrick.
- Amy Poehler as Elizabeth “Liz” Hopeful, the mother of Ben and Patrick.
- Abbi Jacobson as Lisa Hopeful, the older sister of Ben and Patrick.
- Dolly Parton as Lilith Lorrain, The owner of Noel Island.
- Jimmy Fallon as Buckaroo Bill, Lilith's partner.
- Patrick Stewart as Henry T. Noel, The founder of Noel Island and the (hidden) main antagonist of the film.
- Paul Rudd as Clement “Clem” Hopeful, Ben, Patrick, Lisa and Clara’s uncle, Clark’s older brother, Charity and Doug’s eldest son and Liz’s brother-in-law.
- Chris Pratt as Steve, one of Santa's elves and Holly's boyfriend.
- Kelly Clarkson as Holly, a female elf and Steve's girlfriend.
- Glenn Close as Charity Hopeful, Ben, Patrick, Lisa, and Clara’s widowed grandmother, Doug’s wife, Clem and Clark’s mother and Liz’s mother-in-law.
- Tara Strong as Katherine Moore, the widowed mother of Teddy.
- Shemar Moore as Edward Brooks, Katherine's new boyfriend and Nia's father.
- Alan Tudyk as:
- Usizi, chief of the lost tribe elves, who he and his tribe want to eat Ben, Patrick, Teddy, the elves, but later became their friends.
- Snatcher, Henry's henchman.
- Pixies
- Meghan Trainor as Lara Lorrain, Lilith's daughter.
- Blake Shelton as Earl, the head elf.
- Jack McBrayer as Larry, one of Santa's elves.
- James Corden as Carl, one of Santa’s elves.
- Jason Sudeikis as Fred, a grumpy and sarcastic elf and Dexter's best friend.
- Kevin Hart as Dexter, one of Santa's elves and Fred's best friend.
- Elijah Eldrige as Bob, a young elfling.
- Ariel Winter as Nellie, one of Santa's prepper elves.
- Olivia Colman as Elfie, one of Santa's prepper elves.
- Sarah Hyland as Trixie, one of Santa's prepper elves.
- Nick Kroll as Strudel, a passionate dancing German elf.
- Simon Pegg as Yule, an elf at Santa's quality control system and Tide's partner and friend.
- Nick Frost as Tide, an elf at Santa's quality control system and Yule's partner and friend.
- Hugh Laurie as Alabaster Snowball, the administrator of Santa's Naughty or Nice List.
- Bill Nighy as Shinny Upatree, Santa's oldest friend and Village co-founder.
- Wanda Sykes as Sugarplum Mary, the chief assistant to Mrs. Claus in the Kitchen.
- Dan Aykroyd as Doug Hopeful, Ben and Patrick's late grandfather and Charity's husband.
- John Goodman as Frank, one of Santa's elves.
- George Lopez as Pepper Minstix, the guardian of the Village's secret location.
- Christian Slater as Sam, a bartender elf.
- Brandon Greene as:
- The lost tribe elves
- Gerald, one of Santa's elves
- Santa's Cuckoo Clock
- The clowns
- Thea Eddey as Ginger, one the elflings
- Fox Messitt as Mason, one the elflings
- Matilda Flower as Olivia, one the elflings
- Cree Summer as the female lost tribe elves
- Summer also voices the female pixies
- Steve Blum as the gremlin elves
Music[]
Soundtrack[]
Music from and Inspired by The Christmas Movie 2, the soundtrack of the film, it will be released on July 25, 2025. Walk It Off contributed the song "Christmas in July", which is playing at the film's credits.
No. Title.......................................................................Music
- "Christmas in July"....................................Walk It Off
- "All I Want for Christmas Is You"....................................Dolly Parton, Jimmy Fallon
- "Happy Holiday"....................................Peggy Lee
- "Jingle Bells"....................................Jimmy Buffett
- "Join the Parade!".................................... Dolly Parton
- "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"....................................Burl Ives
- "Frosty the Snowman"....................................Jimmy Durante
- "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"....................................Fred Astaire
- "Run, Rudolph, Run"....................................Chuck Berry
- "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"....................................Barry Manilow
- "Feliz Navidad"....................................José Feliciano
- "Silver Bells"....................................Johnny Mathis
- "The Little Drummer Boy"....................................Lou Rawls
- "Almost Too Early For Christmas"....................................Dolly Parton, Jimmy Fallon
- "Santa Baby"....................................Eartha Kitt
- "Winter Wonderland"....................................Louis Armstrong
- "Baby, It's Cold Outside"....................................Tom Jones, Cerys Matthews
- "Last Christmas"....................................Wham!
- "Opera of the Bells"....................................Destiny's Child
- "Peace"....................................Norah Jones
Production[]
Development[]
On May 14, 2025, a sequel titled The Christmas Movie 2 was announced to have begun post-production. Writer and director Brandon Greene returned for the sequel. Christopher Lennertz returns to score the music, while Matthew West, who was the narrator in the first installment came back as executive music producer for the sequel.
Casting[]
Stars J. K. Simmons, Maya Rudolph, Jeremy Maguire, Justin Bieber, Becky G, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Abbi Jacobson, Chris Pratt and Kelly Clarkson were all confirmed to reprise their roles, while Patrick Stewart, Dolly Parton, Jimmy Fallon, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Hart, Melody Hurd and Glenn Close were cast to appear in the sequel. Originally, Ian McKellen was going to voice Henry T. Noel. But they couldn't afford him, so he was replaced by Stewart.
Release[]
Streaming[]
The Christmas Movie 2 was digitally released by Netflix on July 4, 2025. The film also played in three cities (at about 32 Cinemark theaters) the week prior to its digital release, the first time Netflix allowed one of its films to be played in a chain theater.
The film was the most-watched item on the site in its debut weekend. Netflix later reported the film was watched by 61 million households over its first month.
The film was released a year later on November 30, 2026 on Freeform during 25 Days of Christmas.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While it's missing some of the magic of the original, The Christmas Movie 2 serves up a sweet second helping of holiday cheer that makes the most of its marvelously matched leads." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "average reviews."
Sequels and spin-offs[]
Following The Christmas Movie 2, it enabled any additional The Christmas Movie film to improve the franchise's success. Elves (2033) is a spin-off prequel focusing on the elves, and The Christmas Movie 3: Home for the Holidays (2036) is a sequel centering on a teenage Ben Hopeful and his little sister Clara (Alessia Cara). After Elves sequel Elves World Tour (2040) was released, The Christmas Movie 4 is in production, while a third Elves film is in development.
Gallery[]
Main article: The Christmas Movie 2/Gallery
Trivia[]
- The film and it's plot are inspired by Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, Despicable Me 2 and Animal Crackers.
- Clark's mother, Charity is named after Clement Clarke Moore's (the author of the poem the movie was based on) mother, Charity Clarke.
- Clark's brother, Clem is a part of Moore's name.
- The elves stole the show in the first film that they got more screen time in the sequel.
- The new elves introduced in the film, Fred, Dexter, and Strudel were made to prepare them for the spin-off prequel film.
- The gremlin elves are inspired by the Gremlins and the purple Minions from Despicable Me 2.