Prancer (film)

Prancer
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Hancock
Written byGreg Taylor
Produced byRaffaella De Laurentiis
Starring
CinematographyMisha Suslov
Edited by
  • Dennis M. O'Connor
  • John Rosenberg
Music byMaurice Jarre
Production
companies
Distributed byOrion Pictures
Release date
  • November 17, 1989 (1989-11-17)
Running time
103 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million
Box office$18.6 million

Prancer is a 1989 Christmas fantasy drama film directed by John Hancock, written by Greg Taylor, and starring Rebecca Harrell, Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda, Michael Constantine, Rutanya Alda, John Joseph Duda, and Ariana Richards. The plot follows a young girl who finds a reindeer she believes is Prancer, one of Santa Claus’s fabled helpers. The film was a modest box office success and earned mixed to positive reviews.

It is set in Three Oaks, Michigan, where town exteriors were filmed. Filming also occurred at the Old Republic House in New Carlisle, Indiana, La Porte, Indiana, and at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois.

The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel called Prancer Returns, released by USA Home Entertainment in 2001. In 2022, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released a remake called Prancer: A Christmas Tale.