‘Dashing Through The Snow’ Debuts on Disney+ Today
Disney+ subscribers can get in the holiday spirit today with the new original Christmas comedy, Dashing Through the Snow.
The film follows the adventures of Eddie Garrick (Ludacris), an Atlanta social worker who has lost his faith in the magic of Christmas. When his wife (Teyonah Parris) asks him to bring his 9-year-old daughter Charolette to work with him, they meet a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick.
Photo: Disney+
Soon, Eddie finds himself on a Christmas Eve adventure that will restore his faith in the season.
“[Eddie] is the lovable curmudgeon who doesn’t believe in Christmas and wants nothing to do with it and [Nick] is the exact opposite. He’s all about Christmas,” producer Will Packer explains. “So it’s a fun dynamic to play with.”
Photo: Disney+
Packer’s First Holiday Film
While Packer has made a slew of comedy films in his day, Dashing Through the Snow was his first attempt at a holiday film.
Photo: Disney+
“There’s nothing that is quite more stressful, high pressure, high stakes yet amazing than the holidays, especially for families,” Packer says. “There is no time that is more magical. There’s no time that more things could go wrong, and also not a time where you hope [more] for all these things to go right. So it creates a great backdrop upon which to create content.”
A Different Kind of Villain
The main antagonist in the film is Congressman Harf (Oscar Nunez), a greedy lawmaker who resents Christmas.
Photo: Disney+
“He’s our congressman that is immoral,” Packer says. “That is on the take and that is greedy. That is all those things that you want in a good movie villain, but he’s also goofy… He’s not just over there twirling his mustache. He’s also the guy that missed out on his own childhood… He didn’t get this one particular toy that he wanted. He’s always been kind of mad and angry about it.”
The Importance of a Black Santa
According to Packer, it was important to portray Santa (Nick) as a Black man.
Photo: Disney+
“[Santa] looks different all around the world,” Packer says. “We should be making movies that are reflective of what the world looks like…It gives us an opportunity to project images out there for our next generation of kids who hopefully can enjoy seeing themselves on screen [which is] something that I didn’t have growing up.”
Spirit of the Season
With the help of Nick and Madison, Eddie comes to believe in Christmas again. Packer hopes that the film helps others remember the spirit of the season.
“The spirit of the season has nothing to do with gifts, has nothing to do with clothes, outfits, commercial things,” Packer says. “It’s all about those loved ones that you’re closest with. [Eddie] finds it within himself. Each of us have that. You just got to unlock it. You got to let go of some of the negativity, some of the challenges that you’ve had in the past.”
Photo: Disney
Dashing Through the Snow is streaming now on Disney+.
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