Santa Switch

The film opens at the North Pole, where Santa Claus (Kris Kringle) is informed by his assistant Eddie that the Christmas magic is 'spiraling' and requires a human substitute to reset it. Using a tablet, Santa selects Dan Ryebeck, a man whose Christmas spirit is at an all-time low. Dan is a failed travel agent whose car has been booted, who just lost his mall Santa job, and who is facing a final divorce signing with his wife, Linda, in seven days. After a chance encounter in a bar and a magical taxi ride, the real Santa departs for a tropical vacation, leaving Dan in charge with a 'Santa Card' (an unlimited credit card) and the 'Santa Midas Touch.' Dan initially uses the magic for personal gain, fixing his parking tickets and showering his children, Joe and Sally, with expensive electronics to compete with Linda's wealthy and seemingly perfect boss, Trevor. Eddie warns Dan that selfish use of magic causes 'Inappropriate Magic Usage' (IMU) glitches, which begin to manifest as Dan's life becomes chaotic. During a romantic dinner intended to win Linda back, the magic backfires: the Sinatra music turns into carols, the champagne becomes eggnog, and the lobster transforms into fruitcake. Linda leaves, disgusted by Dan's apparent lack of change. Meanwhile, the North Pole faces a crisis as Dan's 'everyone gets everything' policy causes a global supply chain breakdown. Dan consults a vacationing Kris Kringle via video call, who tells him that a father's genuine love is the only real gift. Realizing his mistakes, Dan takes charge of the North Pole, using his travel agent expertise to reroute global toy deliveries through commercial flight corridors when the magical systems fail. He misses his own family's Christmas Eve dinner to ensure every child in the world receives a gift. On Christmas morning, the real Santa returns, and Dan returns home. He gives his children simple, sentimental gifts made by their grandparents and proposes to Linda again. Linda accepts, and the family is reunited, realizing that Dan has finally prioritized his family over his ego.