Jennifer Aniston is set to star in Olivia Wilde’s Universal comedy “Naughty,” playing a single mom named Mallory, while Peter Dinklage plays the king of Christmas — Santa Claus.
Wilde — fresh off the success of her latest directorial effort “The Invite” — directs “Naughty,” which centers on Mallory, whose “only hope of securing custody of her son from her gaslighting trash-bag ex is to find Santa Claus and convince him to testify in her divorce hearing.”
Jimmy Warden (“Cocaine Bear,” “Borderline”) wrote the screenplay and original spec script. LuckyChap (the company led by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Milan Popelka), Wilde and Warden will produce.
The project was first announced in 2023 and described as “Bridesmaids” set at the North Pole. Universal has dated the movie for theatrical release on Nov. 5, 2027.
Executive VP of production development Sara Scott and director of production development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.
The casting update comes as Emmy and Golden Globe winner Aniston wraps up her tenure as executive producer and star of “The Morning Show” with its forthcoming fifth and final season on Apple TV. (Aniston also won SAG-AFTRA’s Actors Award for her performance as news anchor Alex Levy.) Meanwhile, Dinklage — who won a record four Emmys for “Game of Thrones” — recently booked a key role on FX’s “Alien: Earth” for its upcoming season.
Aniston, Dinklage, Wilde, Warden and LuckyChap are represented by CAA.
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
Aniston is also repped by Lighthouse Management & Media, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, and Dinklage by Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Wilde is also repped by Untitled Entertainment, Narrative and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Warden by Untitled Entertainment, Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis and Ziffren Brittenham; and LuckyChap by Entertainment 360, Narrative and attorney Jeff Bernstein.
Deadline first reported the news.
From Variety US