In Search of Santa

In Search of Santa is a 2004 CGI direct-to-video film that was a Chinese-Canadian production between Colorland Animation and Tundra Productions. It was presented and released by Miramax Home Entertainment, and distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

Synopsis
Even in the coldest places on Earth, the magic of Christmas can warm the heart. Join royal penguin princesses Crystal and Lucinda on the adventure of a lifetime.

When a sleigh bell mysteriously falls from the sky and hits Crystal (on the night of December 24th/25th), pure-hearted Crystal is determined to prove the bell came from Blitzen, one of Santa's flying reindeer. Together, she and Lucy sets off on a almost year-round journey to the North Pole to return the bell to Santa, which is in his city (visible only to true believers). Along the way, they must work together to outrun a leopard seal, a killer whale, and a polar bear, outwit greedy pirates, and try to keep the Terribly Deep Thinkers from stealing their parents thone.

Featuring a heartwarming story, delightful characters, and the great music of Michael Lloyd and Keith Heffner, this feature celebrates friendship, family and Christmas, the most wonderful time of the yesr.

Songs
The music was composed and performed by Michael Lloyd and Keith Heffman, with lyrics written by Lloyd and Michael Aschner.
 * Happy Hatchday
 * Terribly Deep Thinkers Song
 * Cap'n Cragg's Pirate Song

Production
In 1998, GoodTimes Entertainment and Tundra Productions appointed Michael Aschner to write two more traditionally simulated Christmas features to follow-up that year's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, which would become this title and the then-unknown sequel to the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Golden Books Family Entertainment). That same year, both direct-to-video productions got started, with the Rudolph sequel being in CGI to represent Rankin/Bass' stop-motion puppetry. The first moving illustration were featured in the 1998 U.S. VHS of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. But after the release of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys, GoodTimes part ways up with Tundra for the production, and then got acquired by Bob and Harvey Weinstein's Miramax Films (which was owned by Disney at the time) for the first in their brand-new Miramax Family line.

The CGI was animated in China by Colorland Animation Productions (Shenzhen) Ltd., utilizing the same Maya technology as Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys. The voices were recorded in Canada by Tundra Productions, who with Colorland did the Rudolph features, The Good Sports Gang series (for BackHome Productions, released by GoodTimes) as well as two one-offs: 2002's Stellaluna (From Scholastic Entertainment) and 2003's Ben-Hur (Also released by GoodTimes).

Availability
On November 23rd, 2004, Miramax Home Entertainment, distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, premiered In Search of SANTA as the first direct-to-video feature of the brand-new Miramax Family line. The DVD featured a featurette spotlighting the voice talents of the Duffs, Hilary and Haylie. Internationally, Paramount Pictures distributed the feature on VHS and DVD in a widescreen format. In 2011, when Echo Bridge Home Entertainment reissued the special on DVD with a brand new widescreen transfer. After Echo Bridge's deal with Miramax expired in 2015, Lionsgate redistributed this and other features in Miramax's library.

Voice Cast

 * Hilary Duff as Princess Crystal
 * Haylie Duff as Princess Lucinda
 * Kathleen Barr as Agonysia, Mrs. Claus, Queen Penelope, Katie, and Marcus & Mimi
 * Scott McNeil as Mortmottimes, Bubkus Bill and Timebomb Tom
 * Garry Chalk as Derridommis and Cap'n Cragg
 * French Tickner as Santa Claus
 * Dale Wilson as King Calvin
 * Nicole Bouma as Baby Princess Crystal, Wing Maidens #1 and #5
 * Tabitha St. Germain as Baby Princess Lucinda
 * Lee Tockar as Max Elfman, Philip, and Pup the Seal
 * Jason Michas as Eugene and Gardener Elf
 * Cathy Weseluck as Emma, William, Wing Maidens #4 & #6
 * Richard Newman as the narrator