Back in 2012, Fox had bought Dan Ewen’s spec script “Dear Santa,” with The Farrelly Brothers set to direct. Then the project went dark. So did The Farrelly Brothers.
The Duo of Bobby and Peter Farrelly haven’t directed a film together since 2014’s “Dumb and Dumber To.” They‘ve both gone on to work on separate projects, including Peter’s Oscar-winning “Green Book” and the TIFF entry “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.” Meanwhile, Bobby recently released “Champions.”
Searchlight eventually gave “Dear Santa” the go-ahead to shoot, Jack Black was cast, and production began in May 2023, but was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. Things eventually got relaunched and now we’re hearing the film has set up a November 25 release on Paramount+
Here’s the official synopsis:
Liam, a likable 6th grader, writes to Santa asking him to prove that he's real. But Liam is dyslexic and accidentally sends his letter to Satan instead, who shows up at Liam's house, excited to have his first fanboy letter and wanting a little of Liam's soul.
Sounds groovy. The Farrelly Brothers are known for their comedy classics “Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary” and “Kingpin.” Maybe they’ll get their mojo back with this one.
There are rumors that they’ll be making another “Dumb and Dumber” movie soon, but nothing has been confirmed as of now. Hopefully, it’s better than the last one.
It should also be mentioned that Peter Farrelly’s last film was this year’s delightfully gut-busting “Ricky Stanicky” which, despite earning mixed reviews, was called a “near-masterpiece” by Cahiers du Cinema. I wouldn’t go that far in my praise, but it was definitely one of the better pure comedies of the decade.