We haven’t even picked up our charcoal for our Labor Day cookout yet and already HBO Max has announced a quartet of four holiday movies! According to Deadline, HBO Max will release four such movies between November and December, starting with a sequel to 1983’s annual staple A Christmas Story.
The lineup as of now:
A Christmas Story Christmas (some title!), due out on November 17
Holiday Harmony and A Christmas Mystery, both on November 24
A Hollywood Christmas, set for December 1
A Christmas Story Christmas, which was announced earlier this year, isn’t the first A Christmas Story sequel. First came 1994’s My Summer Story (originally released as It Runs in the Family), also directed by the late Bob Clark. A decade ago came A Christmas Story 2, with Daniel Stern as The Old Man. This upcoming HBO Max sequel will ignore A Christmas Story 2…just like the rest of us.
A Christmas Story Christmas stars Peter Billingsley as Ralphie, now the patriarch of his own clan. Ian Petrella, Zack Ward, Scott Schwartz, and R. D. Robb are all expected to reprise their respective roles as Randy, Scut Farkus, Flick and Schwartz. Julie Hagerty will play Mrs. Parker.
Holiday Harmony follows an up-and-coming singer who gets stuck in a small town en route to what could be her major breakthrough. Featuring Brooke Shields.
A Christmas Mystery concerns a group of kids trying to track down “Santa’s magical jingle bells” and thus restoring all that Christmas joy. Featuring Beau Bridges.
A Hollywood Christmas finds a director known for her holiday movies navigating all the tropes of one in order to get her latest project finished. Featuring Missi Pyle.
While most of these sound akin to Hallmark Channel fluff, they will certainly have an audience.
So, yeah, keep hunting down the coveted 12-foot skeletons at Home Depot. HBO Max has got Christmas covered!