Ralphie gets the gang, including Flick and Schwartz, back together for more holiday adventures in A Christmas Story Christmas. The 2022 sequel to the 1983 holiday classic finds Ralphie, still in possession of both eyes, returning home and now with kids of his own. The trailer shows the Parker family paying tribute to their late beloved dad (played by Darren McGavin, RIP) and getting into more family-friendly mischief.
In addition to Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, the comedy’s cast includes Erinn Hayes (Bill & Ted Face the Music) as Ralphie’s wife, Sandy; Julianna Layne (Prodigal Son) as their daughter, Julie; River Drosche (Miracle Workers) as son Mark; Scott Schwartz returning as Flick; RD Robb returning as Schwartz; Ian Petrella reprising his role as Ralphie’s brother, Randy; Davis Murphy (Looking for Dr. Love) as Delbert Bumpus; Zack Ward returning as Scut Farkus; and Julie Hagerty (Instant Family) as Ralphie’s mom, Mrs. Parker. Melinda Dillon played Mrs. Parker in the original A Christmas Story.
“There was a lot of conversation about doing a sequel much closer to when the original film came out in 1983,” stated Peter Billingsley. “And then, of course, in the early ‘90s… Eventually it seemed like a distant memory, like we’d never be able to do it. But here we are, Ralphie is all grown up, he has his own family, and it’s an opportunity to really take what was so great from the first one and bring so much of that magic back but with a whole new perspective. You see what his dreams are, where his life is now, who his family is. In some ways, waiting this long makes it all the more special because there were so many new characters that we could bring in, and so many of the old fan favorites that we got to explore as well. Always in the back of my mind I’d hoped that this day would come.”
Bob Clark directed the 1983 film and Clay Kaytis (The Christmas Chronicles) is at the helm of the sequel. Kaytis and Nick Schenk wrote the screenplay based on Jean Shepherd’s book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. Billingsley, Irwin Zwilling, Marc Toberoff, Cale Boyter, and Jay Ashenfelter produce, with Schenk, Mike Drake, and Peter Dodd executive producing.
A Christmas Story Christmas premieres on HBO Max on November 17, 2022.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO Max:
“A Christmas Story Christmas — the long-awaited follow-up to the enduring favorite that fans everywhere keep on their annual must-watch list — is finally arriving, just in time to kick off the holiday season. This heartwarming and humor-filled next chapter in Ralphie Parker’s tale finds him grown, with a family of his own, determined to create an unforgettable Christmas for his kids. Of course, as is tradition in the Parker household, despite “dad’s” best efforts to make those spirits bright, things go comically awry and hijinks ensue in this endearing, relatable slice of family life.”
