People just can’t seem to resist making sequels to successful films. It’s pretty much standard practice at this point, and Christmas movies are no exception. Of course, as we’ve learned time and time again, simply doing a follow-up to something popular is no guarantee that it’ll get as much attention as the original—or be anywhere as good, for that matter. Let’s take a look at a few Christmas classics you might not have known had sequels.
4. RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER
The 1964 Rankin/Bass special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer spawned several sequels over the years, including 1976’s Rudolph’s Shiny New Year and 1979’s Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. However, one that quickly faded into the background was the 2001 direct-to-video effort Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys. Featuring the voices of Richard Dreyfuss, Rick Moranis, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the CGI-animated film follows Rudolph and his friends as they try to foil the plans of the evil Toy Taker (Moranis), who—you guessed it—has been going around stealing people’s toys.
3. JINGLE ALL THE WAY
2014 saw the release of Jingle All the Way 2, a direct-to-video sequel to the original 1996 movie, this time starring Larry the Cable Guy. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first movie, Larry competes to get his kid the hot new toy for Christmas. In his case, the person he’s competing with is his ex-wife’s husband.
2. A CHRISTMAS STORY
There have actually been a few follow-ups to A Christmas Story, but only two of them are Christmas movies. The straight-to-DVD movie A Christmas Story 2, released in 2012, takes place six years after the original and features a different actor as the now-teenaged Ralphie, who’s hoping for a convertible instead of a BB gun this time around.
Then there’s 2022’s A Christmas Story Christmas, which features several cast members from the first movie, including Peter Billingsley as Ralphie. After his father’s death, Ralphie returns to his hometown to be with his mother for the holidays.
1. NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn reprised their roles as Cousin Eddie and his wife, Catherine, in the 2003 made-for-TV movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure. After getting fired from his job at a nuclear facility, Eddie takes his family on vacation in the South Pacific, where they get shipwrecked and have to celebrate Christmas on a desert island.
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