The Polar Express 2 - Will It Ever Happen?

Every holiday season, our screens are filled with a plethora of holiday movies, and one such film that's stood the test of time is Robert Zemeckis' "The Polar Express." Released in 2004, it remains a beloved Christmas movie two decades later. The film follows a young child simply known as "Hero Boy" who finds himself on a magical train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. The boy and his passenger friends experience many wonders on their journey, and they even get to meet Santa Claus. 

"The Polar Express" is full of magic and fun — from an energetic hot chocolate-themed song performed by Tom Hanks to sliding down a winding conveyor belt of Santa's presents. The movie has managed to keep its popularity over a decade later, with it still being shown in movie theaters during the holiday season. There's even a "Polar Express" Train Ride experience at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in North Carolina. 

Considering the love and adoration the movie still garners all this time later, it may leave some wondering if there will ever be a "Polar Express 2." If you're wanting to know if we'll get to take a second ride on that fabled train, then hop aboard as we look at whether or not we'll ever see a "Polar Express" sequel.

A Christmas movie opening in early November against the box office juggernaut (with a similar target audience) that was Pixar's "The Incredibles," "The Polar Express" opened to a modest $30 million in 2004. Defying the usual pattern of opening big and tapering off, "The Polar Express" was a sleeper hit, attracting audiences as Christmas approached, finishing its initial run with a $162 million domestic take (for a total of $286 million worldwide). Part of what's made "The Polar Express" an enduring hit and part of the Christmas movie canon is an annual IMAX release, where it once held the all-time financial record.

That obviously demonstrates a market for a sequel, but that doesn't mean one is forthcoming. "The Polar Express" is based on Chris Van Allsburg's picture book of the same name, which tells the pretty much identical standalone story (and won the 1986 Caldecott Medal). There isn't any more to tell beyond what's in those pages and on the screen.

A few rumors (and holiday hopes) have circled around the internet, but at the moment, it is not at all certain if there will be a "Polar Express 2." 

Perhaps the most confusing part of this whole subject is that on the "Polar Express" wiki on Fandom, there is a page for an apparent sequel titled "The Polar Express 2: Always Believe," a film allegedly released in 2019. However, this movie doesn't actually exist. This is pointed out on the page as well, with commenters saying they believe it's a hoax. One person with the screen name Darius3106 wrote, "I've looked in all corners of the internet, and this is the only post to exist about it other than a few fan trailers. I think its safe to say it isn't real."

On Change.org, there was a petition in 2017 asking Warner Bros to make a sequel. The petition asked, "So Warner Bros if you see this petition please make 'The Polar Express 2.' Please do it for 'The Polar Express' fans out there." The petition was able to gather 336 supporters before it was closed.

Needless to say, Warner Bros. wasn't too concerned about the petition, and despite internet rumors of a sequel, the studio has yet to make any official statement regarding the possibility of a "Polar Express 2." However, with the film's popularity still going strong, maybe one day we will see this concept come back to the big screen.

While a sequel to "The Polar Express" doesn't seem to be in the cards from a creative standpoint, there could be something to explore by way of a prequel. For example, an origin story about The Conductor (portrayed by Tom Hanks in the original film) has some merit, specifically focusing on how he becomes the spirit of Christmas and discovers how to use the Polar Express to spread holiday cheer far and wide. In fact, that's the plot summary offered by a poster that spread around social media in late 2023. Purporting to be an upcoming Max exclusive called "The Christmas Express," the promotional images were AI-generated, and the project is merely the product of some wishful-thinking "Polar Express" fan.

Further dooming any sequel or prequel, it seems the filmmakers responsible have little interest in rehashing "The Polar Express." From what we can tell, neither director-screenwriter Robert Zemeckis or producer-star Tom Hanks have ever said anything about wanting to make another "Polar Express," and they're additionally both sequel-averse. Zemeckis hasn't made a continuation since 1990's "Back to the Future Part III." If he were ever to make a sequel, it would be "Roger Rabbit 2," and he told The Playlist that rights-holder Disney doesn't want to do one. Hanks has only appeared in sequels to "Toy Story" and "The Da Vinci Code," so it appears that any future "Polar Express" adventures are very unlikely.