While October is a time for all things spooky, it’s also the time when people start looking ahead to the holiday season and that means first looks at upcoming Christmas-themed movies, but not all holiday movies are full of good tidings and cheer. Saban Films has released a trailer for the upcoming Fatman starring Mel Gibson as a very unconventional Santa Claus — a bitter, alcoholic Santa who just so happens to also be packing some guns.
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In Fatman, Gibson plays something of a washed-up Santa. The dark action comedy, written by Ian and Eshom Nelms, sees this Santa as someone fighting to survive in a world that doesn’t really look the way it once did and, as such, his “business” is in decline. While that itself is bad, things get even worse for the holiday icon when a 12-year-old boy named Billy decides to put a hit out on Santa when he receives coal under the tree on Christmas morning. But the hitman sent after Santa may be in for more than he bargains for as it seems like he’s not the first person to come for Father Christmas.
In addition to Gibson as a decidedly un-jolly Santa, Fatman stars Walter Goggins as the assassin hired to take out Santa, Chance Hurtsfield as Billy, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Fatman is being produced by Brandon James (Rough House Pictures), Nadine de Barros (Fortitude), and Lisa Wolofsky (Skywolf), and will be executive produced by David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, and Jody Hill, who are also part of Rough House.
“I am excited to be working with the incredibly talented Nelms brothers who have written a unique, highly entertaining script,” de Barros said when the film was first announced in 2019 . “Mel is the perfect choice as Chris Cringle like we’ve never seen him before. I couldn’t be more thrilled to watch this darkly comedic Christmas film come to life.”
You can check out the official synopsis for Fatman below.
To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-comedy that keeps on giving.
Fatman will open in select theaters on November 13th and debut on digital on November 17th.
