Halloween was yesterday, so today it must be Christmastime! And what better way to usher in the yuletide than by checking in with some old friends? For a lot of people, it’s not really Christmas without 24 hours of A Christmas Story. The 1983 classic has become a surprise must-watch for those who like a little bit of cynicism in with their wholesomeness. Well, as we all know, a long-awaited follow-up, A Christmas Story Christmas, will premiere November 17 on HBO Max. Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) is a grown up and has to channel the Old Man to make the holidays magical for his own children. Now we have a trailer! Check it out.
Though the initial teaser maybe made it seem like Ralphie was going to be a scary adult, he’s actually just a dude trying to do right by his family. He and his wife (the always hilarious Erinn Hayes) bring their brood of savvy children back to the house on Cleveland St. for a good old fashioned Christmas. Along the way, Ralphie reconnects with some old friends. These include R.D. Robb as Schwartz and Scott Schwartz as Flick. Hell, Zack Ward even returns to play Scut Farkus, now a police officer. (That’s really scary.)
After nearly 40 years, the original A Christmas Story remains a perennial favorite, and a lot of that comes from the cast. It’s so cool to see Billingsley and so many of the child cast of the movie back for this follow-up. Not returning for this film are Darren McGavin as the Old Man and Melinda Dillion as Mother Parker. Dillion retired from acting in 2007 and Airplane!‘s Julie Hagerty has stepped into the role. But McGavin is much tougher to try to recast; the actor died in 2006, and much of A Christmas Story Christmas will deal with that absence and Ralphie’s attempt to fill the void.
We really can’t wait to see the shenanigans that befall Ralphie this go-round. A Christmas Story Christmas will debut on HBO Max November 17. Feel free to play it for 24 hours straight.
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Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.