For hundreds of years, the Claus family has delegated the title "Santa" to a chosen few of its members, which can be passed down upon retirement. Each Christmas, Santa and his vast army of highly trained elves produce gifts and distribute them around the world in a one-night high-tech operation. However, when one of 600 million children to receive a gift from Santa on Christmas Eve is missed, it is deemed ‘acceptable’ to all but one—Arthur Claus, the current Santa’s misfit son deemed ineligible for the title, who executes an unauthorised rookie mission to get the last present halfway around the globe before dawn on Christmas morning.
Directed by Sarah Smith
sleigh
elves
holiday
assistant
santa claus
wish
reindeer
family
north pole
high tech
clumsiness
duringcreditsstinger
letter to santa claus
woman director
christmas
father son relationship
brother brother relationship
xmas
Rank
#69 in 2011·#3604 overall
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.5 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
James McAvoy
Arthur (voice)
Hugh Laurie
Steve (voice)
Bill Nighy
Grandsanta (voice)
Jim Broadbent
Santa (voice)
Imelda Staunton
Mrs Santa (voice)
Ashley Jensen
Bryony (voice)
Marc Wootton
Peter (voice)
Laura Linney
North Pole Computer (voice)
Eva Longoria
Chief De Silva (voice)
Ramona Marquez
Gwen (voice)
Michael Palin
Ernie Clicker (voice)
Sanjeev Bhaskar
Lead Elf (voice)
Crew
Sarah Smith
Director
Barry Cook
Co-Director
Sarah Smith
Screenplay
Peter Baynham
Screenplay
Harry Gregson-Williams
Original Music Composer
Peter Lord
Producer
David Sproxton
Producer
James Boyle
Sound Designer
Becky Bentham
Music Supervisor
Till Nowak
Visual Development
Peter Baynham
Co-Executive Producer
Sarah Crowe
Casting
Popular Reviews
1373 reviews
Kourosh PRO
9.3★ · 12/24/25
Grand Santa has and always will be the best Christmas movie character around. An absolute crime they haven’t done a sequel for this. #makearthurchristmas2
Grand Santa has and always will be the best Christmas movie character around. An absolute crime they haven’t done a sequel for this. #makearthurchristmas2
2
1
Tanaya
8.0★ · 12/24/25
GranSanta genuinely loses his baubles by the end of this movie and goes full crackhead
GranSanta genuinely loses his baubles by the end of this movie and goes full crackhead
1
Aeryn
6.0★ · 03/04/26
I cannot tell for the life of me if I’ve watched this before or not cuz it seems so familiar
I cannot tell for the life of me if I’ve watched this before or not cuz it seems so familiar
Aeryn
6.0★ · 03/04/26
I cannot tell for the life of me if I’ve watched this before or not cuz it seems so familiar
I cannot tell for the life of me if I’ve watched this before or not cuz it seems so familiar