Olivia Wilde, coming off great reviews for "The Invite," is shooting her next film, a holiday comedy titled "Naughty," which already had Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage attached as the two main leads.
Wilde's fourth film as a director has now added more names to its cast. THR reports that Samara Weaving has joined the ensemble, which also includes Chase Sui Wonders, Regina Hall and Ike Barinholtz.
"Naughty" follows Mallory (Aniston), a mother whose last chance at winning custody of her son from her manipulative, toxic ex is to track down Santa Claus (Dinklage) and persuade him to testify at her divorce hearing.
Wonders and Hall are playing the woman’s best friends while Barinholtz is the trash-bag ex. Weaving will play Barinholtz’s mistress.
The screenplay was written by "Cocaine Bear" scribe Jimmy Warden, and there was good reason a bidding war erupted over it back in 2023, with Universal ultimately landing the winning bid.
Universal has dated the film for a November 5, 2027, release. It's an unusual pairing, and no, Dinklage is not playing an elf; he will actually portray Santa Claus. The potential is there for a great comedy.
"The Invite," acquired by A24 out of Sundance, currently sits at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82 on Metacritic. Audience scores have also been strong, and the film has grossed $20M domestically. "Naughty," however, looks like more of a commercial play, with a major studio and a holiday theme behind it.
Wilde had to live through all the drama surrounding her 2022 flop "Don't Worry Darling," which took a beating from critics. Yet, according to her, that film's failure and her decision to go back to basics with "The Invite," a $20M indie, felt "liberating." She's now moving on to her next film, which Universal decided to fast-track after the success of "The Invite."
Very sorry to hear about Tom Skerritt's passing today. He was 93. If you grew up watching movies from the '70s and '80s, Skerritt was simply there, the guy with the mustache and those calm eyes.