‘Tis the season for festive movies – and Father Christmas has seized the spotlight in countless films around the world. Santa’s on-screen looks have been fairly standard (red robe and hat, white beard, often portly, nearly always Caucasian), but his film sets have varied (from snowy Lapland to city grotto, and even outer space), and his character has certainly shape-shifted across genres. Santa has been played as a jolly good guy, an unhinged killer, a romantic lead, and of course, an anti-hero, with the return of Billy Bob Thornton’s Bad Santa 2. Here are 12 Santas of Christmas movies, past and present.

The debut appearance

The Visit of Santa Claus, 1898