Fred Claus is a 2007 American Christmas comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Dan Fogelman from a story by Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, and starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Ludacris, and Kevin Spacey.

In the present, Nick has become the modern-day Santa Claus, delivering gifts to the children of the world, while Fred has become a repossession agent in Chicago; he lives alone and is friends with orphan Samuel "Slam" Gibbons.

After his girlfriend Wanda breaks up with him, Fred is arrested for impersonating a Salvation Army employee in an attempt to raise seed money for an illegal casino plan, and he is fired from work.

Efficiency expert Clyde Northcutt, from an agency which monitors the activities of supernatural entities, arrives to analyze the North Pole's dwindling performance on a three-strike assessment.

Fred picks a fight with the workshop's DJ Donnie after he plays "Here Comes Santa Claus" repeatedly, causing a disruption that leads to Northcutt assigning the North Pole their first strike.

Unable to now produce enough gifts for every good child, the North Pole falls far behind schedule, leading Northcutt to assign the third strike, shutting down the workshop.

After every gift is delivered, Fred returns to the North Pole while Willie finally starts a relationship with the tall elf, Charlene, Santa's "little" helper.

The next Christmas, Fred and Nick have made amends and he has hired a now-reformed Northcutt to work at the North Pole while Slam is adopted.

In addition to starring in the film, Ludacris contributed an original song titled "Ludacrismas", which includes portions of "Here Comes Santa Claus".

The website's critics consensus states: "A slew of talent is wasted in this contrived and overly sentimental Christmas film, which can't quite get the balance between slapstick humor and schmaltzy uplift.