Christmas movies needed a swift kick in the pants for a long time, and they finally got it in 2003 with Bad Santa, which saw Billy Bob Thornton as the dirtiest, most foul-mouthed department store Santa ever. Think of the guy least qualified to have children sitting on his knee and that was the guy. Bad Santa is one that I rank right up there with A Christmas Story
as my favorite holiday flick. I'd go so far as to say that Thornton is as recognizable for it than he is Sling Blade
. Ever since the movie came out, people have been asking for a Bad Santa sequel. It's been talked about for years, and Thornton himself recently said he'd be up for it. Last December, The Weinstein Company announced they'd be partnering with Miramax to make sequels for a number of films in Miramax's considerable library, and Bad Santa was on that list. Looks like they're not wasting any time, as The Wrap reports Thornton has entered negotiations on the dark comedy. Thorton broke the news during a panel at SXSW, and The Weinstein Company was quick to issue a statement...
"We feel that it’s a Christmas perennial for the R-rated crowd,""Everyone loves the character and Billy Bob’s excited to be in talks with us."
Bring it. I've been wanting this movie for eight years. So far there's been no word on whether Terry Zwigoff(Ghost World
) would be returning to direct. Nor do we know if any of the previous cast, most notably Lauren Graham, Tony Cox, and Brett Kelly will be reprising their roles. You can't make this movie without Tony Cox. Period.
