Dear Santa Claus follows a dyslexic 6th grader named Liam who accidentally sends a letter to Satan instead of Santa Claus. This causes Satan to show up at his door, delighted with his first fan letter. He’s Satan, so he has more sinister plans in mind.
Dear Santa Claus director Bobby Farrelly and writer Peter Farrelly are well known in the entertainment industry, having worked together on many films, including the hilarious Idiot and more idiot. They reunite with Jack Black for this film, who they previously worked with in 2001 Shallow Hal. Dear Santa Claus streams on Paramount+ and releases digitally on November 25.
TelaRant interviewed Peter and Bobby Farrelly about their new holiday comedy, Dear Santa Claus. The two discuss what made Jack Black the perfect choice for the lead role, what was crucial in getting the film to turn out the way they wanted. The Farrelly brothers also talked about working with Post Malone and why he was their first choice for the film’s musical performer. Finally, the two revealed their favorite vacation memories.
Jack Black was the perfect choice for Dear Santa because he’s not scary
“We needed a guy who was lovable but could be a little sinister.”
Screen Rant: And Jack Black Made Him the Perfect Choice to Play Satan Dear Santa Claus?
Peter Farrelly: Well, we wanted someone to play Satan who wasn’t scary. Who you won’t be afraid of, like when they did the Damn Yankees, they weren’t afraid of the devil. We needed a guy who was lovable but could be a little sinister and Jack Black fit that bill. He won’t scare anyone. This is not the exorcist. This is a family film. I don’t think there is anyone better on the planet to play this role.
Bobby Farrelly: Yes, Jack is perfect. Guys like him, girls like him, young, old. It checks all the boxes. And yes, he is a little devilish at times, but always in a funny and likable way. And that was perfect for our film.
Screen Rant: Does he improvise a lot? Because he looks like someone who goes off the rails.
Bobby Farrelly: He goes off the rails. But we had a great script that Pete and Ricky Blitt wrote to start with. So we always try to understand what’s on the page. It’s a great starting point. And then, of course, if he has any ideas about how to do it differently or make it funnier, I’m willing to listen. And Jack is exactly that guy. He improvises and luckily the child actors also went with him. They were very talented, because it’s not easy to keep up with Jack.
Peter Farrelly: We’ve worked with a lot of funny guys of all time, Jim Carrey, Bill Murray, Jack Black, you know, to let them go crazy. You know enough to just turn them loose and see what they come up with. And they will bring a lot to the table.
Screen Rant: Can you talk about finding Robert Timothy Smith, who plays Liam?
Bobby Farrelly: We did an extensive casting search. We looked at a lot of kids that age and there were a lot of talented kids, but he stood out. It really had everything I was looking for. I just really liked that young man, and he’s a good actor. He is a very good actor. He had to check a lot of boxes on this. He had to hit a lot of notes and he hit them all. Very good actor, very, very mature for his age. And it was fun working with him.
Peter Farrelly: Yes, he had a sophisticated delivery. He reminded me of a young Albert Brooks, like he had the same kind of modest thing going on.
Post Malone was the Farrelly brothers’ favorite choice for beloved Santa Claus
“We didn’t think we could do it. He’s always on tour and playing shows all over the place.”
Screen Rant: Post Malone is fantastic in this film. What was the process like for him to sign the project?
Bobby Farrelly: Well, he was an important choice, of course. What artist would children this age like to see? Post Malone was at the top of the list. We didn’t think we were going to get it because these guys are so busy. He is always on tour and playing shows all over the place. But we got in touch and were very lucky. He agreed to come. He was with us for, I believe, three or four days. And boy were they fun. He sang. He introduced himself. He played alone. We played beer pong.
Peter Farrelly: It was really fun.
Bobby Farrelly: I just couldn’t believe how polite and kind and decent he was. He was so nice to everyone. He knew everyone’s name. He really is a special person. I really liked him.
Dear Santa is a subversive idea, but it’s something parents and teens can enjoy together
“We wanted to take that idea and bring it into the world of Christmas movies and have fun with it.”
Screen Rant: Can you talk about the importance of creating something that parents can watch with their kids and that everyone will enjoy?
Peter Farrelly: We would like to point out that this is not for four and five year olds. Yes, it’s a family film. It’s PG-13, so ages 13 and up. But you don’t want to give it to four or five year olds. In every film we’ve made, we’ve always tried to have a little heart, because we think the more you care about people, the more relatable they become. And we can tell better jokes about them if you like them. So we always did that.
Bobby Farrelly: The main thing is that it’s a Christmas movie and it’s a slightly subversive idea. But we didn’t want to make a horror film or a super dark film. We wanted to take that idea and bring it into the world of Christmas movies and have fun with it, and hopefully have an uplifting story with a happy ending. And I hope we achieve that.
Screen Rant: Where did this inspiration come from?
Peter Farrelly: The idea came to us. Our friends Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett brought us an idea from Dan Ewan. This was about ten or twelve years ago, and they said we had an idea. Here it is. A child writes a letter to Santa Claus, but he writes it wrong and the letter goes to Satan. And we were like, yeah, we’ll make this movie. We’re in. However, this is easier said than done. It’s a great idea. It’s like a snake on a plane.
There has never been an easier pitch. But then, once you start doing that, it’s a tricky thing, because you’re walking a fine line, and without a Jack Black you’re going to be in trouble when you catch a Satan. But he should be a somewhat sympathetic Satan. And in fact, it’s the opposite of It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s a wonderful life where the angel was trying to change him. Well this kid is trying to change the devil.
Bobby Farrelly: He’s not really trying, but he actually ends up doing it because he’s such a good kid and gets involved in the Christmas of it all.
Screen Rant: What would you say sets Dear Santa apart from other Christmas movies?
Peter Farrelly: Either you get Bad Santa, which is a strong, R-rated comedy, which I love, by the way, or you get something much softer normally, in a Christmas film. This is right in the middle. This is for adults and children aged 11 and over. It’s not too soft, but it’s not too hard. In fact, it has a message. We went out of our way to leave a message. It has twists and turns. There are surprises. And on top of that we have Jack Black, who is a national treasure.
Bobby Farrelly: Pete said it best. Look, it’s a Christmas movie. I really think everyone will like it and I think it will be different from what they expect. Even though it’s a slightly subversive idea, it’s done in a way that honors the spirit of Christmas.
Peter Farrelly: Again, it’s the kind of Satan that would be in Damn Yankees. This is not The Exorcist. It’s exactly the opposite.
Peter Farrelly used to mess with his brother at Christmas
“He would come back and tell me what was under the tree and often you would tell me much better things than what was actually under there.”
Screen Rant: Speaking of Christmas, do you have a favorite Christmas tradition or memory?
Bobby Farrelly: My memory of Christmas is that Pete would always go downstairs in the middle of the night to try to see what was there before the official morning when we all went to see what Santa had brought us. He would come back and tell me what was under the tree and often you would tell me much better things than what was actually under there.
Peter Farrelly: I wanted him to stay awake. I couldn’t sleep. It’s Christmas Eve, so I’m lying there. He says: What’s down there? I started to improvise.
Bobby Farrelly: He once told me he was a tank. An Army tank. I was like, what do you mean by REAL tank?
Peter Farrelly: Is he like, a tank I could drive down the street? Absolutely.
More about Dear Santa (2024)
When a boy sends his Christmas wish list to Santa Claus with a crucial misspelling, a diabolical Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays. From the hilarious minds behind Dumb & Dumber, Christmas is about to catch fire.
Source: Screen Rant Plus