Jennifer Aniston Stars in Olivia Wilde New Comedy ‘Naughty’
Christmas is coming early to Hollywood, because Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage are teaming up for Naughty, a holiday comedy from director Olivia Wilde that has just landed at Universal Pictures. The pairing was first reported by Deadline and confirmed by the studio, and it arrives with a premise as merry as it is mischievous, because Aniston stars as Mallory, a mother whose last hope of winning custody of her son is to track down Santa Claus, played by Dinklage, and persuade him to testify at her divorce hearing.
What Is Jennifer Aniston’s Movie Naughty About?
The setup leans all the way into its high-concept charm, sending Aniston’s Mallory on a desperate mission to find the one witness who can save her case, the big man in red himself. Per the official synopsis, her only shot at custody hinges on convincing Santa to take the stand against her “gaslighting trash-bag ex,” a phrase that tells you everything about the film’s cheeky, warmhearted tone. The screenplay comes from Cocaine Bear writer Jimmy Warden, who first drafted it on spec before Universal landed it back in 2023, and it was memorably pitched, according to Variety, as Bridesmaids set at the North Pole. Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap is producing alongside Wilde and Warden, which only sweetens the pedigree.
Peter Dinklage Swaps His Elf Days for the Santa Suit
Casting Dinklage as jolly old Saint Nick is the kind of against-type stroke that makes a comedy sing, and it is not his first trip to the North Pole, since he memorably turned up in the 2003 Will Ferrell classic Elf. The four-time Emmy winner, beloved for Game of Thrones and most recently seen joining FX’s Alien: Earth, now trades swords and dragons for a sleigh. Aniston, for her part, is no stranger to holiday mischief either, having anchored the ensemble of Office Christmas Party between seasons of The Morning Show and her turn as a children’s author with her children’s book. Guiding them both is Wilde, fresh off her acclaimed A24 comedy The Invite, of which The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney wrote that it is hard to deny she is the real deal as a director.
When Does Naughty Hit Theaters?
Universal has dated Naughty for a theatrical release on November 5, 2027, positioning it squarely in the cozy heart of awards-and-holiday season. It will even have some festive company at the box office, opening the same weekend as Warner Bros.’ animated musical Margie Claus, with Melissa McCarthy voicing Santa’s wife. Between a leading lady at the very top of her game, a Santa nobody saw coming, and a director riding a genuine hot streak, Naughty is shaping up to be the holiday gift audiences did not yet know to ask for.
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