In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo accidentally invites chaos into the holidays while chatting with Peter and Bobby Farrelly about their upcoming comedy, “Dear Santa.” The film follows a young boy who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial dyslexic spelling error, summoning a satanic figure to wreak havoc on the season. Directed by Bobby Farrelly (“Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary”) and written by Peter Farrelly, Dan Ewan, and Ricky Blitt, the movie stars Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Brianne Howey, Ethan Dillon, Post Malone, and more.
Joining the podcast, Peter and Bobby Farrelly opened up about the almost decade-long development of “Dear Santa.” The idea originated from collaborators Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett, who pitched it over a decade ago.
“They came to us 10 to 12 years ago,” Peter Farrelly said. “And they said, ‘How about a kid writes a letter to Santa Claus, but he misspells it and it goes to Satan?’ And we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’ll do that.’ High concept. Sure. It’s like ‘Snakes on a Plane.’”
While the concept was immediately appealing, it wasn’t until recently that the Farrelly Brothers were able to bring it to life. The project fell into place when Jack Black enthusiastically signed on as Satan in record time.
“I swear to you, he read the script and two hours later, [he said yes],” Peter Farrelly shared. “Two hours later, he sent a picture of himself with horns and said, ‘I was born to make this role’…It’s never gone like that ever in our career. But Jack was perfect, and he knew it.”
Given the premise, many might assume the Farrellys would lean into their R-rated roots. However, the duo felt strongly about keeping the film PG-13 to appeal to a younger audience while retaining their comedic edge.
“It was always going to be a PG-13 movie because it’s about an 11- or 12-year-old,” Peter Farrelly explained. “Ricky Blitt, who I wrote it with, worked on ‘Family Guy’ for years, and the tone is similar. Adults will laugh at some things, and kids will laugh at others.”
Bobby Farrelly echoed this sentiment, noting how they briefly considered a more mature tone inspired by movies like “Good Boys” but ultimately decided it would alienate younger viewers. “We didn’t want to scare away the 11-year-olds,” Bobby Farrelly said. “PG-13 felt like the right balance.”
As the conversation shifted, Peter Farrelly hinted at revisiting their classic “Dumb and Dumber” franchise in the future. “I’d do another ‘Dumb and Dumber’ in a heartbeat because I love both [Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels],” he said. “Whenever I hear a dumb joke, I put it in my ‘Dumb and Dumber’ list. Maybe for the 30- or 40-year anniversary, we’ll do ‘Gum and Gummer’ when they’re older.”
They also expressed excitement about the possibility of continuing their cult-favorite series “Loudermilk,” which gained a second life on Netflix during the COVID pandemic. “We’ve been talking to the Duplass Brothers about continuing it,” Bobby Farrelly said. “We had a five- to seven-year plan, and we were on the brink of greatness. The show was just about to go in a totally unexpected and fun direction.”
“Dear Santa” is now streaming on Paramount+. You can listen to the full interview with Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly below:
The Discourse is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Deep Focus, Bingeworthy*, and more. We can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
The Playlist Presents – Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:
1.) “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) – Directed By Milos Forman (Peter’s Pick)
2.) “The Purple Rose of Cairo” (1985) – Directed By Woody Allen (Peter’s Pick)
3.) “Something Wild” (1986) – Directed By Jonathan Demme (Peter’s Pick)
4.) “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) – Directed By Frank Capra (Bobby’s Pick)
5.) “Mr. Inbetween” (2018-2021) – Created By Scott Ryan (Peter’s Pick)
