Bad Santa 2 (November 23) (Red-Band Trailer)

Miramax and Broad Green Pictures announced that Billy Bob Thornton will reprise his role as Willie Soke in “Bad Santa 2.”

Geyer Kosinski will produce. Miramax will partner with Broad Green Pictures to co-finance and co-produce. Broad Green will distribute in the U.S. during the 2016 holiday season.

Sierra/Affinity will handle foreign sales with sales starting at the upcoming American Film Market.

“We’ve been waiting far too long to see Billy Bob’s Willie Soke mess with the holiday season in his own unique way,” said Zanne Devine of Miramax.

David Thwaites will oversee the project for Miramax and Victor Moyers for Broad Green Pictures. Principal photography will commence in January in Montreal.

The 2003 original grossed $60 million domestically on a budget of $23 million. Thornton was last seen on season one of “Fargo.”

ForeverBlu wrote:They waited too long.

Plus John Ritter and Bernie Mack both are dead.

Mean Girls director Mark Waters has been set to direct Bad Santa 2, the sequel to the 2003 comedy that is now in the works after Miramax and Broad Green Pictures agreed to co-finance and co-produce the dark comedy. Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly are returning the original cast . Principal photography starts in January in Montreal on the script from Doug Ellin, Shauna Cross, John Phillips and Johnny Rosenthal. Sierra/Affinity is repping international rights this week at AFM.

As an early Christmas present (or late, depending on your perspective), Miramax and Broad Green have announced that principal photography has begun on Bad Santa 2. The sequel to 2003 black comedy sees Billy Bob Thorton reprising his role as professional thief Willie Stokes, who poses as a department store Santa to case likely spots to burglarize. The film also sees Tony Cox returning as Stokes’ former partner in crime Marcus, and Brett Kelly returning to play Thurman Merman, the young boy in the original film whom Stokes mentored (after a fashion). They’re joined by Ryan Hansen, comedian Jenny Zigrino, Jeff Skowron, Christina Hendricks, and Kathy Bates, who plays Stokes’ mother.

Broad Green announced this week that Hendricks has joined Bad Santa 2 in the role of Diane, who heads up a charity. THR adds a little more detail: Diane is an Ivy League-educated, upper-crust lady who apparently “has a thing for shady lowlifes in a Santa costume.” Her organization becomes the target of the latest scam perpetrated by Willie and his foul-mouthed, tough-as-nails mother Sunny, played by Kathy Bates. (Never mind that Bates is only about seven years older than Thornton in real life.)