MovieChat Forums > The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) Discussion > Why exactly didn't David Krumholtz repri...

Why exactly didn't David Krumholtz reprise the role of Bernard in here?

posted 8 years ago by faloheights
7 replies | jump to latest

I know this has probably been asked a bazillion times, but what exactly was the reason David Krumholtz didn't reprise the Bernard role in this movie? I have heard three competing stories and I'd frankly like to know the truth.

First, the most accepted story was that he was too busy with Numb3rs and was not available.

Second, I heard that he wanted to come back, but Disney never asked him.

Third, was that he wanted to return and he was negotiating with Disney, but he wanted more money and Disney didn't want to pay him any more (even though he rightfully deserved it because he was a hit in the first two), so after they couldn't come to an agreement, David walked away and Disney wrote Bernard out of SC3.

I have always leaned towards the third story as the real one, considering the novelization of the SC3 used the Bernard character, but I want to know if anyone knows the official reason.

[–] Mhjm6 8 years ago

Frankly, by the formula of this franchise, Bernard was already an old elf in the first one so maybe they are replaced by new elves over time? Or Bernard was there somewhere offscreen and just didn't interfere.

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

Bernard is gone. Curtis is the new "head elf". They don't reference Bernard by name but they do reference him by making Curtis state he is "NOW" the new head elf, meaning he wasn't before and some one was there before him. Getting to why they couldn't just tell us he freaking retired or died is another matter as well as vaguely retconning his whole existence by stating that the snow globe BERNARD gave to Charlie, which is also stated in the sequel, was now given to him by his father. Makes no sense at all.

[–] Mhjm6 8 years ago

^I agree, they could have at least taken a scene to explain what happened to Bernard. Oh well. I rest my case.

[–] faloheights 8 years ago

Thank you all for your responses, I really appreciate them. However, this isn't exactly about why Bernard wasn't in the third movie, it's more of the reason why David Krumholtz didn't reprise the role of Bernard in the first place. I edited the question to reflect what I really meant.

[–] faloheights 7 years ago

bump

[–] rosiedeene 7 years ago

I always thought he was just too old by the time the third movie was made. The elves were supposed to always look like children and he obviously didn't anymore.

[–] Great_Gazoo 7 years ago

What!? He was older looking in the first film and was clearly an adult in the second movie. But it made sense bc he's the head elf. He's the only one who looks like an adult. This movie was only two years after the second one, and he looked just fine in that one.

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