The Christmas Express movie debunked: Fake Polar Express sequel explained

Fans of The Polar Express were excited to come aboard once again as a sequel called The Christmas Express was announced to be coming out this year. But, is it really true?

The Polar Express hit cinemas in 2004. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks in not one, not two, but five separate roles including “the big man” himself, it tells the story of a young boy disillusioned with the idea of Christmas.

With his spirit at an all-time low, jaded by lies and disappointment, the rumbling of a train shakes his house in the middle of the night. Where is it going? “To the North Pole, of course — this is the Polar Express!”

It was a box office success, and nearly 20 years on, it’s regarded as a modern festive classic. So, news of a sequel would understandably be met with quite a bit of hype — and with hundreds of thousands of fans suddenly looking forward to The Christmas Express, here’s what we know.

Is there a Polar Express sequel called The Christmas Express coming out?

No, The Christmas Express isn’t real, nor is there a Polar Express sequel in development.

Remember the live-action Family Guy movie that we debunked, and the images of Will Smith seemingly playing Adolf Hitler and Tom Hanks supposedly portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in Netflix biopics – once again, this is all much ado about nothing, and a fake poster is to blame.

A poster for The Christmas Express was shared by YODA BBY ABY (a self-proclaimed satire page, and not a reliable source of movie news). “MOVIE NEWS!!! POLAR EXPRESS PREQUEL!!!” it’s captioned, tricking people into believing it’s real.

YODA BBY ABY: Facebook

The poster claims the movie would have been released back in December 2023 exclusively on Max – again, this is a total lie.

The page goes one step further, providing a seemingly official synopsis that gives a name to Hanks’ iconic conductor: “Get ready for a heartwarming holiday adventure in The Christmas Express starring Tom Hanks as Woodford Newton. When a fateful accident occurs during his town’s Christmas train ride, Woodford is chosen by an angel to become the Christmas Spirit, spreading joy and belief to children on The Polar Express. This enchanting prequel to the beloved classic promises to capture the magic of Christmas in a way only Tom Hanks can deliver. All aboard for a journey of wonder and cheer!”

The post has been shared more than 111,000 times, with over 57,000 comments of people excitedly tagging their friends and family. We’re sorry to break the bad news, but it’s absolutely, unequivocally fake. “Believing is seeing” – and we urge you all to look closer next time.

Don’t be too disappointed… you can check out the best Christmas movies of all time alongside the best ones to catch on Netflix. You can also find out more about all of Tom Hank’s roles in Polar Express alongside his previous AI controversy.

We’ve also got all the info you need on actual animated sequels, just like Frozen 3, Moana 2, and Toy Story 5.