8th Update, Sunday AM: Family pics and holdovers largely ruled the Thanksgiving five-day holiday period, so if you were a new R-rated movie, it was particularly challenging. Overall, ComScore is reporting “a moderately strong Thanksgiving 3-day (F-S-S) and 5-day frame” with $181.9M over FSS (even percent-wise with…

Here it is the end of last weekend and the immediate beginning of a new one as the Thanksgiving stretch officially starts tomorrow night at 7 PM with a fresh crop of new releases hitting the multiplex. Sources aren’t doubting that Disney’s new princess Moana might rain on Fantastic Beasts’ parade, winning the five-day…

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed Mark Waters, who most recently directed Bad Santa 2, the sequel to the 2003 pic that Broad Green Pictures and Miramax will release November 23. On the TV side, Waters is attached to direct and produce the E! pilot #Fashion Victim. Waters’ previous film-directing gig was 2014’s Vampire…

This is the definition of NSFW. Billy Bob Thornton’s foul-mouthed Kris Kringle is back and fouler than ever in this new redband trailer for Broad Green Pictures’ Bad Santa 2, a clip so full of blue Christmas greetings we can’t even grab a full quote. “You still hit like your f*cking father,” says Kathy Bates after…

Transparent‘s Melora Hardin has been cast in Paul Osborne's indie thriller Cruel Hearts. She joins Eddie Jemison (Oceans Eleven), Patrick Day (Favor), Alev Aydin (Lonely Boy) and Bonnie Root (Bones). Written and directed by Osborne, the film follows a young man who discovers that he’s been having an affair with a…

As an early Christmas present (or late, depending on your perspective), Miramax and Broad Green have announced that principal photography has begun on Bad Santa 2. The sequel to 2003 black comedy sees Billy Bob Thorton reprising his role as professional thief Willie Stokes, who poses as a department store Santa to…

EXCLUSIVE: Christina Hendricks has joined the cast of Bad Santa 2, the Miramax and Broad Green Pictures sequel that returns Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly from the 2003 original. Kathy Bates also is aboard. Hendricks will play a new character who runs a charitable organization. Miramax and Broad Green…

Broad Green Pictures has set a release date for Bad Santa 2, the sequel to the 2003 black comedy it is co-producing and co-financing with Miramax, on November 23, 2016, which is the Thanksgiving frame. Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly return in their original roles joined by Kathy Bates. Mark Waters is dire…

Mean Girls director Mark Waters has been set to direct Bad Santa 2, the sequel to the 2003 comedy that is now in the works after Miramax and Broad Green Pictures agreed to co-finance and co-produce the dark comedy. Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly are returning the original cast. Principal photography…

Billy Bob Thornton still doesn’t care if you’re naughty or nice. Miramax and Broad Green Pictures said today they are teaming to co-finance and co-produce Bad Santa 2 with the Our Brand Is Crisis co-star reprising his role as mall Santa/curmudgeonly conman Willie Stokes. Broad Green will distribute the sequel to the…

EXCLUSIVE: Steve Pink is in early talks to rewrite and direct Bad Santa 2, the sequel of the raucous 2003 comedy that is in the works from Dimension Films. Johnny Rosenthal wrote the previous draft of the script. Billy Bob Thornton is expected to reprise the title role in the sequel. Pink, who last helmed the feature H…