Bad Santa 2 is in the works, but without the original’s screenwriters Glen Ficarra and John Requa. Which is is probably for the best since they have a lot of extremely valid doubts about the sequel. “I don’t think a sequel besmirches the original. I think the hard part is you’re up against the original,†Requa explains, reasoning “It’ll be hard, but I don’t think it’s impossible.†Ficarra says, “It’s a thankless job, because you’re up against big expectations. You can’t go in a totally new direction, but if you do an hommage, people think you’re ripping off the original.â€
The larger question for the upcoming film, which currently has two separate screenplays in the works, is where Billy Bob Thornton’s protagonist could end up in the next chapter that wouldn’t seem so, you know, obvious. “But wouldn’t it be odd if he was a Santa again?†Ficarra muses, while Requa suggests, “Will Stokes is a great character. You could do a western. Or maybe Bad Santa in Outer Space.â€