Ike Barinholtz Joins Jennifer Aniston in Universal Comedy 'Naughty'
Ike Barinholtz has joined Jennifer Aniston in 'Naughty', Universal's upcoming comedy, as Deadline reported on 8 October. He joins an ensemble that already includes Peter Dinklage, Regina Hall and Chase Sui Wonders. Olivia Wilde will direct.
Aniston leads the film as Mallory, a mother in the middle of a divorce. Mallory decides her best chance to keep custody of her son is to find Santa Claus and persuade him to testify on her behalf at the hearing. Dinklage plays Santa himself, setting up the film's central search. The premise turns a familiar Christmas figure into a potential courtroom witness.
Sources tell Deadline that Barinholtz is expected to play Mallory's ex-husband. The part is not confirmed. That detail remains unannounced, so the studio has not described his role in official terms.
Wilde directs from a script by Jimmy Warden. The screenplay began as a spec script, a script written without a commission before a studio buys it. Warden will also produce the film alongside Wilde.
LuckyChap will produce 'Naughty' with Wilde and Warden, according to Deadline. Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project for Universal. In practice, that means they guide the film on behalf of the studio from development through production.
For fans, this means a familiar pairing continues. Barinholtz and Sui Wonders already co-star opposite Seth Rogen on Apple's 'The Studio'. Their presence in the same Universal ensemble extends that working relationship to the big screen.
Barinholtz also works behind the camera in television comedy. He co-wrote and executive produces 'Running Point', a Netflix comedy series starring Kate Hudson, which he created with Mindy Kaling and David Stassen. An executive producer helps shape a show creatively and manages its production. The humour is ensemble-driven and built around the workplace.
He also appears in a very different register. Barinholtz portrays Elon Musk in 'Artificial', Neon's sci-fi satire directed by Luca Guadagnino. A satire uses humour to poke at real figures and systems. The announcement adds another name to a Christmas title taking shape at Universal, with further character details still to be disclosed.
