Movies like The Story of Santa Claus (1996)
The best movies like The Story of Santa Claus (1996) are The Willoughbys (2020), Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022) and In Your Dreams (2025). If The Story of Santa Claus hooked you with its adventure and animation, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)7.4/10 from 3,050 votes
- NewestIn Your Dreams (2025)Released 2025
The Willoughbys (2020)
When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their Old-Fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create something new: The Modern Family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIn Your Dreams (2025)
Stevie and her little brother Elliot journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Star (2017)
A small but brave donkey and his animal friends become the unsung heroes of the greatest story ever told: the first Christmas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)
When his best friend Gary is suddenly snatched away, SpongeBob takes Patrick on a madcap mission far beyond Bikini Bottom to save their pink-shelled pal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnimal Crackers (2018)
A family must use a magical box of Animal Crackers to save a rundown circus from being taken over by their evil uncle Horatio P. Huntington.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWonder Park (2019)
A young girl named June with a big imagination makes an incredible discovery -- the amusement park of her dreams has come to life. Filled with the world's wildest rides operated by fun-loving animals, the excitement never ends. But when trouble hits, June and her misfit team of furry friends begin an unforgettable journey to save the park.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThat Christmas (2024)
It's an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone's plans — including Santa's.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (2011)
After a deadly storm, Tom and Jerry find themselves stranded on an unknown island ruled by the evil Wizard of Oz. As they try to find their way back home, they worry for their master Dorothy's safety.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOlaf's Frozen Adventure (2017)
Olaf is on a mission to harness the best holiday traditions for Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShrek the Halls (2007)
The Christmas tree isn't the only thing green in this new holiday classic. Shrek is back and trying to get into the spirit of the season. After promising Fiona and the kids a Christmas they'll remember, he is forced to take a crash course in the holiday. But just when he thinks he has everything for their quiet family Christmas just right, there is a knock at the door.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Magician's Elephant (2023)
Peter is searching for his long-lost sister when he crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square. His only question is: is his sister still alive? The answer, that he must find a mysterious elephant and the magician who will conjure it, sets Peter off on a journey to complete three seemingly impossible tasks that will change the face of his town forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Twits (2025)
When the meanest, nastiest villains pull a trick to take over their town, two brave children team up with a family of magical animals to bring them down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1997)
When Toaster and the gang spark friendships with the playful animals at the veterinary hospital, they soon discover their new pals are about to be sent to a testing laboratory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! (2015)
The WWE comes to town in the new animated film teaming the Flintstones with Bedrock-ready versions of John Cena, Daniel Bryan and more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011)
When Grouchy Smurf behaves badly to everyone and refuses to celebrate Christmas, the Smurfs of Christmas Past, Present and Future teach him to appreciate Christmas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRevolting Rhymes (2017)
Two half-hour animated films based on the much-loved rhymes written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPeter Pan (1988)
This animated fairy tale for kids tells the classic story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Determined never to become an adult, Peter stays forever young in a magical word called Neverland, where he leads a band of mischevious kids called the Lost Boys. Unfortunately, Neverland's chief other inhabitant is a pirate named Captain Hook, who would like nothing more than to put a permanent end to Peter's fun.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
The maniacal baby of the Griffin family, Stewie, meets his future self. In doing this he discovers that his future image is not what he has anticipated because of a near death experience.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArctic Dogs (2019)
Animals band together to save the day when the evil Otto Von Walrus hatches a sinister scheme to accelerate global warming and melt the Arctic Circle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Story of Santa Claus?
The closest matches to The Story of Santa Claus are The Willoughbys (2020), Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022) and In Your Dreams (2025). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Story of Santa Claus?
Start with The Willoughbys (2020), the closest match to The Story of Santa Claus.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Story of Santa Claus?
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020), rated 7.4/10 by 3,050 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Story of Santa Claus?
In Your Dreams (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Story of Santa Claus?
Yes: The Willoughbys (2020), Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022) and In Your Dreams (2025).
How are movies similar to The Story of Santa Claus chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Story of Santa Claus, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.