While Christmas has come and gone, Legendary and Warner Bros. are looking to give a belated gift to us all as sources tell Deadline the two companies have closed a deal for Peter Billingsley to star in A Christmas Story Christmas, a sequel to the holiday classic A Christmas Story, which will premiere on HBO Max. While not confirmed sources add Airplane star Julie Hagerty will play Billingsley’s mother. The script was written by Nick Schenk, who will also executive produce, and Clay Kaytis will direct. Billingsley will also produce along with his partner Vince Vaughn through their Wild West Picture Show productions. Cale Boyter and Jay Ashenfelter will oversee for Legendary. Production is set to start at the end of February in Bulgaria.
The film follows an adult Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the 1970s, who returns to the house on Cleveland street to deliver his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had growing up. With the same attention to real-life tone of the first, Ralphie reconnects with childhood friends, reconciles the passing of his Old Man and sews the seeds for the origins of the beloved Holiday classic.
Since his breakout role as Ralphie in A Christmas Story, Billingsley has gone on to have success as a director with hits that include the comedy Couples Retreat starring Vaughn. He also produced the Broadway musical A Christmas Story The Musical which received three Tony nominations including Best Musical. He is represented by Mitch Smelkinson. As a producers Billingsley and Vaughn have produced multiple films through Wild West Picture Show including The Break-Up, Four Christmases, Couples Retreat and F Is For Family.
Schenk’s has become Clint Eastwood’s go to screenwriter penning just recent Eastwood pics like Cry Macho, The Mule and Torino for which he won a National Board of Review award for Best Original Screenplay. He is represented by Management 360 and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark.
Kaytis’ past directing credits include Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell for Netflix and The Angry Birds Movie which he co-directed with Fergal Reilly that grossed more than $350 million worldwide. He is represented by UTA, Artists First, and Mark P. Binder, Weston, Garrou & Dewitt.
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