A Christmas Story Sequel, With Original Film Stars, Gets HBO Max Release Date
Ralphie’s coming home for the holidays.
A Christmas Story Christmas, a sequel to the 1983 cult classic A Christmas Story, will be released Thursday, Nov. 17 on HBO Max, our sister site Deadline reports.
The ’70s-set movie sequel, which hails from screenwriter Nick Schenk (Gran Torino, Cry Macho), will see original child actor Peter Billingsley, now 51, reprise his role as Ralphie Parker. He’ll be joined by fellow original film stars Ian Petrella (Randy), Zack Ward (Scut Farkus), Scott Schwartz (Flick) and R.D. Robb (Schwartz).
In A Christmas Story Christmas, an adult Ralphie “returns to the house on Cleveland Street to deliver his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had growing up,” according to the official logline. “With the same attention-to-real-life tone of the first, Ralphie reconnects with childhood friends, reconciles the passing of his Old Man and sows the seeds for the origins of the beloved holiday classic.”
The cast also includes Erinn Hayes (Childrens Hospital, Kevin Can Wait) as Ralphie’s wife, River Drosche (Miracle Workers) and Julianna Layne (Prodigal Son) as their son and daughter, and Julie Hagerty (Airplane!), who is reportedly playing Ralphie’s mom — a role originally played by Melinda Dillon.
A Christmas Story was only a modest box office success upon its initial theatrical release in 1983. But over time, the film — about a young boy who so desperately wanted an official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot range model air rifle for Christmas — became a cult classic, thanks in part to TBS’ annual, 24-hour marathon, which starts on Christmas Eve and ends the following night, on Dec. 25.
The film spawned a theatrical sequel, the 1994 box office bomb It Runs in the Family, which featured none of the original cast and was retitled My Summer Story upon its 2006 DVD release. There was also a direct-to-video sequel, 2012’s A Christmas Story 2, which ignored the events of It Runs in the Family.
Surely, A Christmas Story Christmas will pretend neither of those sequels exist.
The original movie also spawned a 2000 stage play and a 2012 Broadway show. The latter, a musical, was eventually adapted for television as A Christmas Story Live!, which originally aired on Fox in 2017.
Will you be checking out HBO Max’s Christmas Story sequel when it gets released this November? Sound off in Comments.
I think I would have prefered Scoob’s Holiday Haunt, but ok…
Yeah, I do not understand that one at all. It was supposedly pretty well finished too. Maybe a good holiday film for kids, since, ya know, Christmas is really for kids, and they probably would have cared less about how good or bad it was, if bad was such the case as to one reason to justify why it was shelved. Very strange.
Heck, I would’ve preferred the “Home Alone, but with Bat-Brat instead” special
Hope this is better than the sequel where Ralphie’s a teenager.
Peter Billingsley grew up to be very hot! I’m really looking forward to seeing this. I’m keeping expectations low, however; the original movie is such a classic that any follow-up is going to fall short, no matter how well-written it may be.
There was also a sort-of sequel made-for-TV film “Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss” from 1988 starring a young Jerry O’Connell.
So they’re just going to negate the other sequels and have this be the one and only true follow up…I’m ok with this, especially since Peter Billingsley will be back as Ralphie.
Why is this getting a release? I thought they were cancelling all the hbo max movies?
Canceled big budget streaming movie, scoob and batwoman were 70+, this is mayde 5, plus Christmas movies are revenue generators, HBO max, then go to tbs and tnt to air in between 25 hr Christmas Story marathon…then sell to hallmark,
His statement was a 70 million plus investment was not bringing in an extra 70 million customers, a 70million movie x 12 months, or 52 movies a year will never work if a majority have studio budgets.
The kid in 1983 which was way before PC woke world wanted a air rifle I wonder what PC toy the movie will have now
Doesn’t say it involves a toy. He is reconciling his dad’s death, and giving his kid’s a little Christmas magic at his childhood home. Not everything has to do with “woke” you Holiday Grinch.
man is TBS even still going to do these marathons at Christmas considering everything that’s going on?
I saw “A Christmas Story” in a theater in 1983 when I was 9, but now I am having difficulty keeping up with the continuity in the Christmas Story Cinematic Universe.
Used to watch this movie every year on Christmas day and don’t think I even knew there were sequels. Sounds like I didn’t miss much but now that I know I have to watch em.
Good grief. Is this sequel/reboot/reimagining mania EVER going to end?
Sounds like a sequel instead of a reboot and sequels have been around for a very long time.
Don’t hold your breath. Either it will be canceled before cameras roll or they will film it and can it for a tax write off. WB has become a joke of late.
It’s completed and “in the can”
I wish Melinda Dillon could have been in it.
She retired a few years ago,
Really all I want is to be able to see Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss with Jerry O’Connell as Ralphie again!! My mother screamed “Did you get the bathmat? “every time we started a road trip for years after that movie.
Wow, finally a soul who also knows this gem. It’s always left out. A made for t.v. movie by Jean Shepherd that was just as good. (To me) I love that you mentioned this!
We loved the “Ollie Hopnoodle Haven of Bless.”
I’ve always wanted a dog named Fuzzhead.
I love that movie. My in-laws had a home recording on VHS that we watched on every visit home. I still joke about bringing the bath mat whenever my wife packs her luggage.
I wish they’d release it on DVD or streaming. I think the original was a Disney release
It won’t happen. HBO MAX has been chopping out movies and shows left and right. I’m not even sure I’m keeping my subscription, especially after them removing nearly the entire Sesame Street series, particularly the original episodes from the first 30 years or so.
Ugh. Didn’t need the original, really didn’t need the first sequel, and super-really don’t need this one.
Then why did you even bother clicking on the article?
So this would be set in the early 1980’s since the first film was set in 1939-1940ish?
The article says “The ’70s-set movie sequel”
I might watch it, that will be only to check out what the actors look like today, but I really don’t want anything to tarnish my love for the original Jean Shephard Christmas story!
I listened to Jean Shepherd on WOR-AM in the 1950s recount his fictional adventures of growing up in Indiana before the movie that captured his unique narrative voice and appeal.
Looking forward to the old cast reprise their roles.
I think Ralphie should walk in the front door with an eye patch
My thought exactly
I’m so sick of A Christmas Story,that there’s no way in hell I’m going to watch a sequel.
It’s a free country. You don’t have to watch anything.
Well, I’ll have to watch it, but I have low expectations. I’d love to think it will be amazing.
Warner Brothers have become the “Why Bother” company. So why bother making A Christmas Story sequel while canceling many other great shows? Soon I will be canceling too – My HBO subscription!
WE are very greatfull thhat you are here.
Loved original movie mainly because of Gene Shephard. Used to hear him on radio at night. Watch the movie every year! Looking forward to this new sequel.