Jennifer Aniston will call Santa Claus as a witness in her divorce case

For years, Santa Claus has delivered gifts to children, restored lost beliefs, and brought countless families together. In his new film, he will take on a much more complex role: testifying in a contentious divorce case.

Universal Pictures has announced that Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage will star in the Christmas comedy titled Naughty, directed by Olivia Wilde. Aniston will portray Mallory, who is fighting for custody of her son, while Dinklage will appear as the unconventional Santa Claus of the story.

The film, prepared for theatrical release by Universal, will blend classic Christmas tales with themes of divorce, custody battles, and courtroom comedy.

Santa Claus: Mallory's last hope

At the center of the film is Mallory, who faces off against her ex-husband over the custody of their son.

With few options left to win her legal battle, Mallory's last hope will be to find Santa Claus, whom she believes to be real, and convince him to testify in her favor at the divorce hearing. How Dinklage's portrayal of Santa is connected to this family and what event he will witness in court has not yet been revealed.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the story is that it does not use Santa Claus merely as a fantastical character that only children believe in. For Mallory's plan to work, she must first prove that Santa is real and then bring him into a courtroom.

Thus, the central question of Naughty will shift from “Does Santa Claus exist?” to “Can Santa Claus be a valid witness in court?”

Peter Dinklage will portray an unconventional Santa

It has been noted that Peter Dinklage will play a character that differs from traditional depictions of Santa Claus in the film. However, details about the character's appearance, personality, and why he could be pivotal in Mallory's case have not yet been shared.

For Dinklage, Naughty also represents a remarkable return to Christmas cinema. The actor previously portrayed the famous children's book author Miles Finch in the 2003 film Elf. The fight that ensues when Will Ferrell's character Buddy believes he is an elf became one of the film's most memorable scenes.

Twenty-four years after the release of Elf, Dinklage will now appear directly as Santa Claus in a Christmas film.

Jennifer Aniston is no stranger to Christmas comedies either. The actress previously starred in the 2016 film Office Christmas Party. However, Naughty will combine Aniston's well-known romantic comedy persona with a fantastical custody battle.

Olivia Wilde has been fighting to make this film for years

Olivia Wilde, known for directing Booksmart and Don’t Worry Darling, will sit in the director's chair for Naughty.

The project first emerged in 2023 and was described as a Bridesmaids-style Christmas comedy set in the North Pole. With Universal officially greenlighting the film, Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage joined the cast as leads.

Wilde stated that the project is a personal film they have been working on for years and that she fought for a long time to bring it to life. The director described Naughty as a large-scale comedy with a strong emotional story that carries the spirit of Rob Reiner's films.

According to the director, the film will not rely solely on the absurd idea of a courtroom. The production aims to combine comedy with an emotional family story, making it one of Wilde's biggest projects to date.

Naughty stands out as a different genre experiment in Wilde's directing career, following the youth comedy Booksmart and the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling.

The writer of Cocaine Bear penned the script

The screenplay for the film was written by Jimmy Warden, known for Cocaine Bear and Borderline.

Naughty is based on an original script that Warden prepared without any studio's commission. Universal later acquired the project and began developing it as a feature film. Warden will also be among the producers alongside Olivia Wilde.

Warden, who created an extremely absurd survival comedy based on a true story in Cocaine Bear, uses a similarly striking idea in Naughty: A mother tries to bring Santa Claus to court to win custody of her son.

It remains to be seen whether the film will use this idea merely as a short joke or if it will place the proof of Santa's existence at the center of the story.

Margot Robbie's company will produce the film

Naughty will be produced by LuckyChap Entertainment, co-founded by Margot Robbie. The company has previously worked on various productions such as Barbie, Saltburn, Promising Young Woman, and I, Tonya.

Olivia Wilde and Jimmy Warden will also be part of the film's production team alongside LuckyChap. Universal Pictures will handle the film's theatrical distribution.

LuckyChap's involvement in the project is one of the first signs that Naughty will not be just a traditional Christmas film aimed at children. The announced story brings together more adult themes like divorce, a manipulative ex-spouse, custody battles, and a fantastical courtroom witness within a family comedy.

When will Naughty be released?

Universal Pictures will release Naughty in theaters on November 5, 2027. The film's release date in Turkey and shooting schedule have not yet been announced.

The early November date will provide the film with a long theatrical run before the Christmas season. Additional cast members joining Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage will be announced in the future.

In Naughty, the outcome of the custody case may be determined by Santa Claus before the judge. However, Mallory will first need to find the world's toughest witness.