Jingle All the Way

Jingle All the Way is a 1996 American Christmas comedy film directed by Brian Levant. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as Howard Langston and Myron Larabee, two rival fathers living in Minneapolis desperately trying to purchase the popular Turbo Man action figure for their respective sons on a last-minute shopping spree on Christmas Eve. The film's title is borrowed from the lyrics of the popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells". The film was written by Randy Kornfield. Producer Chris Columbus rewrote the script, adding in elements of satire about the commercialization of Christmas, and the project was picked up by 20th Century Fox. Delays to Fox's reboot of Planet of the Apes allowed Schwarzenegger to come on board the film, while Columbus opted to cast Sinbad instead of Joe Pesci as Myron. Jingle All the Way was set and filmed in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul at a variety of locations, including the Mall of America. After five weeks of filming, production moved to California, where scenes such as the end parade were shot. The film's swift production meant merchandising was limited to a replica of the Turbo Man action figure used in the film. Upon release, Jingle All the Way grossed $129.8 million but received generally negative reviews from critics for its uneven tone. In 2001, Fox was ordered to pay $19 million to Murray Hill Publishing for stealing the idea for the film; the verdict was overturned three years later. Jingle All the Way is the third and final collaboration between Sinbad and Phil Hartman after Coneheads (1993) and Houseguest (1995), and the last film featuring Hartman to be released during his lifetime before he was murdered in 1998. In 2014, the film was followed by a sequel in name only, Jingle All the Way 2, starring Larry the Cable Guy.