This article contains spoilers for Dear Santa (2024)Dear Santais one of 2024’s most interesting Christmas movies so far, following a young boy who accidentally sends his holiday wishlist to Satan instead of Santa, causing a whole flood of problems for the family that’s left to deal with his slip-up. The film has been met with mixed reviews, with most critics arguing against its inclusion of the devil in what’s otherwise clearly a fairly family-family movie, but there are still plenty ofgreat performances inDear Santa- namely from Jack Black as Satan himself. The film also includes a cameo from Ben Stiller, Black’sTropic Thunderco-star.
Black and Stiller first worked together onTropic Thunderback in 2008, another film that took bold swings with its storytelling and was met with some harsh criticism in response. The comedy follows an American film crew in Southeast Asia shooting a movie when one of their own is captured by a violent crime organization that begins hunting the rest of them down. There are very fewmovies likeTropic Thunder, and the movie is still remembered today as one of the most out-there comedies of its era.
Ben Stiller & Jack Black Both Play Demons In 2024’s Dear Santa
The Two Comedians Have Similar Roles In The Festive Flick
InDear Santa, Black and Stiller make theirTropic Thunderreunion by playing two devils who are summoned by the young boy’s letter. While Black’s character is simply posing as the devil for his own benefit, Stiller plays theactualdevil, who scolds Black’s character for stealing his identity. It’s the kind of scene that nobody would expect to find in such a festive movie, butit manages to work purely thanks to the chemistry between these two actors.
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Justin Theroux, who co-wrote Tropic Thunder and cameoed, explains why he thinks it’s the perfect time for a sequel to the modern classic comedy.
In recent years, Jack Black has been taking on as many roles as possible where he’s given complete freedom to just be himself and let his unique style of comedy run free. FromThe Super Mario Bros.Movieto the upcomingA Minecraft Movie, the actor has clearly found his mainstream niche and decided to stick with it. Stiller’s career has been a little more unpredictable, so it’s nice to see him making time for these goofy comedies where the actor first made his name.
Dear Santa Proves Ben Stiller & Jack Black Need To Do More Satire Movies Together
The Two Comedians Work Excellently Together
The on-screen chemistry between Black and Stiller hasn’t gone anywhere since the days ofTropic Thunder, and their interactions inDear Santaare some of the film’s most entertaining moments. They’ve always been great in these kinds of satirical comedy roles, and whileDear Santadoesn’t come close to their strength inTropic Thunder, it’s a glimpse of what could be possible if the pair work together again. And now thatBen Stiller is taking on lead roles again withNutcrackers,it could be the perfect time for them to co-star in another big movie again.
Dear Santa
Cast
Due to a mix-up, young Liam, a dyslexic 6th grader, sends a letter to Satan instead of Santa, leading Satan to appear at his door, delighted by his first-ever fan letter and interested in acquiring a portion of Liam’s soul.
