Variety was positive, writing “while it lacks the richness and texture of the famed ballet, “The IMAX Nutcracker” is nevertheless solid family entertainment.” The reviewer praised the film's “strong production values”, predicting it would “become a holiday classic”. Their earlier productions include Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971), Stories from a Flying Trunk (1979), The Nightingale (1981), Biddy (1983), Little Dorrit (1987), The Fool (1989), As You Like It (1991), Amahl and the Night Visitors (1996), The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream (2001) and The Good Soldier Schwejk (2018). The film was made in collaboration with Goodwin by Edzard, who is known for her meticulous filmmaking often based on Victorian English sources. Sands Films, the production company that made the film, is owned and run by Christine Edzard, the screenwriter and director, and her husband Richard B. The Nutcracker Prince takes Clara to an enchanted land where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairies. The IMAX Nutcracker is a 3-D IMAX narrative film telling the story of Little Clara who receives a toy nutcracker for Christmas and sees it come to life later that night. The music by Tchaikovsky was arranged by Michael Sanvoisin and cinematography was by Noel Archambault.

The film stars Miriam Margolyes, Heathcote Williams, Lotte Johnson, Benjamin Hall, Harriet Thorpe, and Patrick Pearson.

It was produced by Celia Bannerman, Andrew Gellis, Lorne Orleans and Olivier Stockman at Sands Films Studios in London. The IMAX Nutcracker is a 1997 short film directed by Christine Edzard based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.

Hoffmann the nutcracker