After several years of development, The Weinstein Company is finally moving forward withBad Santa 2, and now the cast is coming together.The Wrapis reporting thatKathy Bateshas signed on to portray the mother ofBilly Bob Thornton’sWillie Sokein the upcoming comedy sequel. No details have been released about her character, or how she fits into the story at this point.
We reported last month thatBad Santa 2will hit theaters in 2016, withproductionscheduled to begin this January in Montreal. Very little is known about the story at this point, but Kathy Bates' character is described as a “foul-mouthed” woman.The Wrapalso reports that originalBad Santastars Tony Cox and Brett Kelly will reprise their roles, but it isn’t known ifLauren Grahamor Lauren Tom will be back for this follow-up.
Mark Waters(Mean Girls) is directing from a screenplay byDoug Ellin,Johnny Rosenthaland Shauna Cross. Geyer Kosinski and Andrew Gunn are producing, withMark WatersandDoug Ellinserving as executive producers. The originalBad Santaearned $76.4 million at thebox officefrom a $23 million production budget.
Miramax will partner with Broad Green Pictures to co-finance and co-produce. Broad Green will distribute Bad Santa 2 theatrically in the U.S. during the 2016 holiday season. Sierra/Affinity will handle foreign sales with sales starting at the upcoming American Film Market earlier this month. With production starting in just a few months, hopefully we’ll hear more casting news in the very near future.
Oddly enough, the 67-year-old Kathy Bates is only seven years older than her on-screen son, Billy Bob Thornton.Kathy Batescurrently stars on FX’sAmerican Horror Story: Hotel, and she will next be seen inThe Boss, alongsideMelissa McCarthy, which hits theaters on June 25, 2025. Do you thinkKathy Batesis the perfect choice to play Billy Bob Thornton’s mother inBad Santa 2? Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for more casting details.
