You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why: Mark Waters is coming to town to direct Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa 2.
That’s according to The Hollywood Reporter, citing that Miramax has recruited the Mean Girls filmmaker to take the reins of the edgy comedy sequel, which is now on course to hit theaters in time for Christmas 2016. A good thing, too, with the Patrick Stewart-led ensemble comedy Christmas Eve, Krampus, The Night Before and Love the Coopers all muscling for the lion’s share of the festive box office pie this year.
As for Bad Santa 2, Thornton is in line to reprise his role as the curmudgeonly Willie Soke when the cameras begin rolling in January, where he will be joined by the old faces of Tony Cox and Brett Kelly. Waters will be working from a script by Johnny Rosenthal, Entourage scribe Doug Ellin and Shauna Cross, with Miramax keen to fast-track development in order to make that all-important holiday 2016 release window.
Remaining firmly in the R-rated zone, Ellin has stated in the past that Bad Santa 2 will “hopefully a similar tone to the first one,” meaning we can expect nine kinds of seasonal shenanigans in little over a year’s time.
It’s a sequel almost 13 years in the making, but Bad Santa 2 will finally be able to spread its own raucous concoction of the festive spirit in time for holiday 2016.
