Kevin Sorbo is Santa Claus beginning December 2

The Hallmark Channel continues its Christmas coverage on Thursday, December 2, with the HallmarkChannel Original Movie World Premiere of “The Santa Suit,” starring Kevin Sorbo. This heart-warming family film is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ infamous, A Christmas Carol, with a modern twist.

Instead of 19^th century wealthy English curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge, the script by Kevin Commins offers America’s Hunter Toys’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Drake Hunter (Sorbo). Hunter possesses similar views as Scrooge toward humanity in that he places more emphasis on making money than caring for mankind. He devises a plan to increase sales during the Christmas holidays by dispatching shopping mall Santas throughout the city and ordering them to urge boys and girls that, “It isn’t a great toy, unless it’s from Hunter’s!”, thereby, goading their parents into purchasing more of his company’s products.

But, Santa Claus sees and disdains the idea, then dispatches his own brand of Christmas justice.

“My character is an arrogant guy who has inherited his father’s toy company, but, is all about the bottom line, cutting costs, etc,” Sorbo explained. “He is visited by the real Santa Claus and turns into him to find his inner Christmas spirit.”

Santa Claus decides to transform Hunter into his own image: the round-faced, protruding-bellied icon of today’s tradition complete with long, flowing white beard. However, Hunter doesn’t become the hero with a simple overnight change; he is mistaken for a vagabond and forced into a homeless shelter where, with no family or friends to worry about him, he befriends a social worker (Jodie Dowdall). Then in order to keep his place at the shelter he must find employment, which he ironically accepts as a shopping mall Santa.

Via his new job Hunter meets “latchkey kid” Gemma (Briana D’Aguanno), a young girl whose mother struggles to make ends meet by working double shifts at Hunter Toys. Her family’s situation, despite how hard and long her mother toils, leaves them impoverished.

Hunter, like Scrooge, finally realizes how much his life impacts others. He discovers that his toys actually bring joy to children and that his company possesses the potential to help those who work there if he provides them with hope and security for a better world.

Convinced that the stereotypical, cold-hearted Fortune 500 CEO grasps the idea of humanity versus profits, the real Santa returns Hunter to his original, but, improved self. Hunter proceeds to approach his newly found mission with enthusiasm and a joy to fulfill dreams!

“Drake Hunter seemed like a fun role to play,” said Sorbo, “and I was wanting to do a Christmas movie for my kids. It’s a touching, funny, romantic, sad, real Christmas story. You will love it!”

See “The Santa Suit” on the Hallmark Channel (listed times are ET): Thursday, December 2, 8 and 10 p.m.; Wednesday, December 8, 8 p.m.; Sunday, December 12, 2 p.m.; Monday, December 13, 8 a.m.; Sunday, December 19, 12 a.m.; Thursday, December 23, 6 a.m.; and Friday, December 24, 2 a.m.

Visit the Hallmark Channel website for more information: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thesantasuit/home

(Photos courtesy of the Hallmark Channel)

 

Enjoy this cute video clip.  Thanks, Kevin!