Jack Black has been a key figure in the Hollywood comedy landscape for more than 20 years now. Black’s work inTenacious Dcertainly earned him a passionate following, but it was his leading role in 2003’sSchool of Rockthat catapulted him to comedy stardom. Following this hit, he appeared inAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy(2004),King Kong(2005), andNacho Libre(2006).
After these films in the early and mid-2000s, Black played a prominent role inTropic Thunder(2008), cementing his on-screen comedic abilities. Most of Black’s biggest hits since Ben Stiller’s action comedy, however, have actually featured him in voice acting roles. He has now voiced Po in fourKung Fu Pandamovies, and he recently appeared in theSuper Mario Bros. Movievoice castas Bowser. Save for twoJumanjimovies,Black’s on-screen work as a lead actor has been somewhat limited in recent years, but a recent Christmas comedy changed this.
Dear Santa Finds Success On Streaming
The Jack Black Christmas Comedy Didn’t Strike A Chord With Critics
Dear Santahas overcome a negative critical reception to become a streaming success. Directed by Bobby Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber To),the Christmas movie debuted on Paramount+ on November 25, telling the story of a young boy who accidentally sends his Christmas list to Satan instead of Santa, with Black playing the former. TheDear Santareviewswere far from glowing, and the film currently has only a 24% critics score onRotten Tomatoes.
Stiller cameos inDear Santaas Lucifer, with the film marking a reunion for him and Black 16 years afterTropic Thunder.
New data fromReelgood, however, reveals that this negative response hasn’t preventedDear Santafrom occupying a place on a streaming top 10 list.The Christmas movie ranks as the eighth most popular movie on streaming in the U.S. for the week of November 28 – December 4, coming ahead of titles likeThe Substance(2024) andNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation(1989).Dear Santafalls short of other movies likeNutcrackers(2024),Gladiator(2000), andMy Old Ass(2024), withAlien: Romulus(2024) occupying the number one spot. Check out the full top 10 list below:
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What Dear Santa’s Streaming Success Means For The Movie
How Successful Is The Movie Actually Going To Be?
ConsideringDear Santacame out on November 25 as a streaming-only release, it’s not entirely surprising the film has appeared in Reelgood’s top 10 list. In fact, it’s surprising it isn’t higher. It’s possible it could pick up steam as Christmas approaches, but the audience score suggests this might be unlikely. Though higher than the 24% critics' score, the Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes is a lackluster 45%, meaninggeneral viewers aren’t dazzled by the Christmas comedy.
Dear Santa: Who Jack Black’s Asmodeus Is In Real Mythology Explained
Paramount+’s comedy Christmas movie Dear Santa sees Jack Black playing the demon Asmodeus disguised as Santa, but the character dates back centuries.
This is ultimately bad news for Black, who now hasn’t had a leading role in a successful (either critically or commercially) movie since 2019withJumanji: The Next Level. Black’s biggest upcoming project isA Minecraft Movie, and this film, which will benefit from being based on popular IP, will be an interesting test regarding Black’s status as a comedic leading man.Dear Santamay have found streaming success this past week, but it doesn’t seem likely to become a Christmas classic, and it marks another underwhelming live-action outing for Black.
Dear Santa
Cast
Due to a mix-up, young Liam, a dyslexic 6th grader, sends a letter to Satan instead of Santa, leading Satan to appear at his door, delighted by his first-ever fan letter and interested in acquiring a portion of Liam’s soul.
