Tim Allen's heading back to the North Pole for a 'Santa Clause' sequel series on Disney+

Hang your stockings and say your prayers, 'cause Santa Claus is coming to Disney+. The streaming network announced Friday that, more than a decade after he last played the role, comedian and actor Tim Allen is returning to the role of Scott Calvin/Santa Claus in a Santa Clause sequel series that's set to begin production this spring. 

With the working title of simply The Santa Clause, the series will reunite Allen with his Last Man Standing projection team of Jack Burditt (who will serve as showrunner), Kevin Hench, Rick Messina, and Richard Baker, and will tell the story of an aging Scott Calvin who starts to reckon with the idea that he might not be Santa for much longer. 

According to Disney's official synopsis of the series, The Santa Clause will pick up with Scott Calvin "on the brink of his 65th birthday," as he starts to "lose a step" in his job as Santa. But age isn't the only factor that's making Scott think twice about keeping the job. He's also got two kids now, and the North Pole is the only world they've ever known. Faced with the desire to give his family a normal life, and the desire to see the North Pole continue to prosper, Scott must set out to find the right replacement to become the new Santa. 

Allen first played Santa, as his hit sitcom Home Improvement was soaring in the TV ratings, in the 1994 film The Santa Clause, which cast him as a cynical businessman at a toy company who, one Christmas Eve, accidentally killed Santa Claus. After his son talked him into putting the big man's red suit on, Scott inadvertently assumed the entire Santa gig thanks to a magical contract that imbued him with the appearance and powers of Santa. The film became a holiday hit, and Allen returned for two sequels, 2002's The Santa Clause 2 -- in which he discovered finding a Mrs. Claus was a key part of the deal -- and 2006's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, in which he was tricked out of the job by a mischievous Jack Frost and had to fight his way back into the position.

All three films have become holiday favorites with frequent airplay every Christmas season, so it's no surprise that Disney+ is hoping to capitalize on the franchise's popularity once again, particularly after successful revivals of fellow '90s hits like The Mighty Ducks and Home Alone. What's not clear so far is whether or not any of Allen's fellow Santa Clause stars — including Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, David Krumholtz, and Eric Lloyd — will also be returning for the series. 

The Santa Clause kicks off production in March, which means it's possible we could see episodes by the 2022 holiday season.