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| - In November 2024, a Facebook post by the page YODA BBY ABY claimed to show a poster for "The Christmas Express," allegedly a prequel to the 2004 holiday movie "The Polar Express." The poster featured an image of actor Tom Hanks, who starred in the original film.
According to the post (archived), "The Christmas Express" would be available on the streaming service Max in December 2024:
POLAR EXPRESS PREQUEL!!! TOM HANKS!!!
Coming to Max on December 20th, The Christmas Express is a heartwarming holiday story you won't want to miss. Tom Hanks stars as Woodford Newton, a dedicated train conductor whose life changes forever after a fateful encounter leads him to become the guiding force behind the Polar Express. This magical prequel reveals the origins of a beloved Christmas tradition, spreading joy and wonder to children everywhere.
(Facebook page YODA BBY ABY)
Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events. For example, one commenter replied: "we are watching this on Christmas Day!" Another said: "I can't wait to see this.Marked my calendar."
However, the poster was not real — although there is reason to think a sequel to the original movie may eventually emerge.
Asked about the possibility of a "Polar Express 2" in January 2024, Gary Goetzman, a producer on the original 2004 film, told ComicBook.com: "That is trying to be worked out now, for sure, 'Polar 2.' Yes."
Goetzman did not provide any concrete details about the timeline for the project, nor did he give any indication that the film would be a prequel, as opposed to a sequel.
At the time of this writing, the IMDb page for "Polar Express 2" said the movie was still in preproduction. The page did not list a release date or any information about the cast. Hanks' name appeared nowhere on "Polar Express 2" page, and his own IMDb profile did not list the film among his upcoming projects.
There was also no evidence that Max planned to distribute the sequel.
Rather, the rumor about Hanks starring in a "Polar Express" prequel titled "The Christmas Express" originated with YODA BBY ABY — a Facebook page that describes its output as being satirical in nature. The page's intro section states:
I'm just here to eat frogs, lift rocks and be satirical. The page is 100% satire and fake news.
Additionally, YODA BBY ABY's post about "The Christmas Express" ended with a disclaimer reading: "For entertainment purposes only."
Snopes has addressed numerous claims originating from YODA BBY ABY about fake Christmas movies, including a sequel to 2003's "Elf" and a reboot of 1988's "Die Hard."
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
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