Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage are set to star in Naughty, a new holiday comedy directed by Olivia Wilde for Universal Pictures. The studio has scheduled the film for an exclusive theatrical release on November 5, 2027.
The film follows Mallory, played by Aniston, a mother locked in a custody battle with her ex-husband over their son. Her only chance of winning the case is to track down Santa Claus, played by Dinklage, and convince him to testify on her behalf during the divorce proceedings. When the project was first announced in 2023, it was described as “Bridesmaids set at the North Pole,” offering an early glimpse of the irreverent tone the filmmakers are aiming for.
Aniston, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, has continued to balance comedy and drama in recent years, from her Emmy-nominated performance in The Morning Show, which is currently filming its fifth and final season, to films such as Murder Mystery and Along Came Polly. Naughty marks a return to the broad studio comedies that helped establish her as one of Hollywood’s biggest comedy stars.
Dinklage, best known for his Emmy-winning performance as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, has spent recent years moving between prestige dramas and genre films, with credits including Cyrano, She Said and this year’s American Sweatshop. Playing Santa Claus gives him a rare opportunity to headline a full-scale comedy after building a career around complex dramatic characters.
Speaking about the project shortly after it was announced, Wilde described Naughty as a passion project that had been years in the making.
“This is a project we’ve been working on for years; it’s a passion project and I fought and fought and fought to get this made,” she said, describing it as a comedy in the spirit of Rob Reiner, with genuine heart at its centre.
Wilde also called the film the biggest undertaking of her directing career.
“It’s also a much bigger endeavour and is something that is way bigger than anything I’ve ever taken on. I feel very honoured in this day and age to be able to direct an original theatrical comedy for a studio at this level,” she said, crediting Universal for placing its trust in both the project and its cast.
The screenplay comes from Jimmy Warden, the writer behind Cocaine Bear, who originally wrote Naughty as a spec script several years before it landed at Universal in 2023. The screenplay reportedly sparked a competitive bidding war before the studio secured the rights.
Wilde was attached to direct from the outset and is said to have always envisioned Aniston and Dinklage in the lead roles. She ultimately directed The Invite while the screenplay continued to be refined before returning to Naughty.
The project marks Wilde’s fourth feature as a director, following Booksmart, Don’t Worry Darling and this year’s The Invite, which received strong reviews and prompted The Hollywood Reporter’s chief film critic to describe Wilde as an accomplished filmmaker. Following the success of The Invite, Universal reportedly moved quickly to secure Aniston’s and Dinklage’s schedules before officially greenlighting the project.
Naughty is being produced by LuckyChap, the production company led by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Milan Popelka, alongside Wilde and Warden.
The film will open the same weekend as Warner Bros.’ animated musical Margie Claus, featuring Melissa McCarthy as Mrs. Claus, setting up an intriguing holiday box-office clash between two very different takes on Santa’s world.
It also marks a return to Christmas-themed storytelling for both leads. Aniston previously starred in Office Christmas Party, while Dinklage appeared in the ensemble holiday comedy Love the Coopers.
Original studio comedies have become increasingly uncommon in theatres in recent years, making Universal’s commitment to a large-scale, original holiday comedy a notable bet on the genre.
Naughty is scheduled to open exclusively in theatres on November 5, 2027, where it will debut alongside Warner Bros.’ Margie Claus.
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