Miramax and Broad Green Pictures have cast Kathy Bates as the mother of Billy Bob Thornton’s title character in “Bad Santa 2.” Thornton will reprise his role as Willie Soke from 2003’s “Bad Santa.” Tony Cox and Brett Kelly from the original film will also return.
Mark Waters (“Mean Girls”) will direct from a screenplay by Johnny Rosenthal, Doug Ellin (“Entourage”) and Shauna Cross (“If I Stay,” “Whip It”). Geyer Kosinski and Andrew Gunn will produce.
“Bad Santa 2” will be executive produced by Miramax’s Zanne Devine and David Thwaites, Broad Green’s Gabriel and Daniel Hammond, Waters, Jessica Tuchinsky and Doug Ellin.
Miramax and Broad Green are co-financing and co-producing with Broad Green handling U.S. theatrical distribution during the 2016 holiday season. Principal photography will commence in January in Montreal.
The 2003 original grossed $60 million domestically on a budget of $23 million. Thornton, who came on the project on Oct. 29, was seen on season one of FX’s “Fargo” and appears in Warner Bros.’ “Our Brand is Crisis.”
