Plot: It's Christmas Eve, as the citizens of a Victorian-era London are celebrating the arrival of the holiday. This movie begins after the passing of Marie Stahlbaum (Anna Madeley) as her husband and children Louise (Ellie Bamber), Clara (Mackenzie Foy), and Fritz (Tom Sweet) attempt to celebrate the holiday in the midst of such tragedy. Mr. Stahlbaum (Matthew Macfadyen) bestows each of the children a gift from their late mother: Marie's favorite gown for Louise, a set of toy soldiers for Fritz, and a mysterious egg-shaped contraption for Clara with a note telling her that "everything she needs is inside." Clara attempts to open the box, but realizes that the key to unlocking the contraption is missing. As Louise helps her younger sister prepare for their godfather Drosselmeyer's (Morgan Freeman's) annual holiday gala, she notices her godfather's initials on the detailing and realizes that maybe Drosselmeyer might know how to open it. The Stahlbaum family arrive at Drosselmeyer's mansion while Mr. Stahlbaum sternly forbids Clara from wandering off by herself, since he has promised both of his daughters a dance during the festivities. Clara disobeys her father and seeks Drosselmeyer's workshop. After helping him fix one of his latest inventions, Drosselmeyer examines Clara's egg and tells her that the only one clever enough to open it is her. He sends Clara back upstairs with the promise of meeting up with her shortly.
Alternative Plot: Young Clara needs a magical, one-of-a-kind key to unlock a box that contains a priceless gift. A golden thread leads her to the coveted key, but it soon disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. In that world, she meets a soldier named Phillip, a group of mice and the regents who preside over three realms. Clara and Phillip must now enter a fourth realm to retrieve the key and restore harmony to the unstable land.
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