Upon its 2003 premiere, Terry Zwigoff’s Bad Santa became an immediate box-office success. Billed as a cross between It’s a Wonderful Life and South Park, the film follows Willie, a foul-mouthed alcoholic played by Billy Bob Thornton, who poses as a department store Santa each year to rob malls with his partner, Marcus (Tony Cox). While it has since become a holiday staple, the film’s journey to the screen was so fraught with challenges that its completion was a Christmas miracle.
The concept of an R-rated Christmas movie was a difficult sell in Hollywood. Universal Studios passed on the project, citing it as misogynistic and anti-Christmas. However, those were the very reasons Miramax’s Bob Weinstein was drawn to the script and ultimately acquired it.
Production was plagued with setbacks from the start. Brett Kelly, the child actor playing Thurman Merman, contracted chickenpox and had to be sent home for a week. Billy Bob Thornton later admitted to being genuinely drunk or hungover during filming. After the movie scored poorly with test audiences, Weinstein demanded reshoots. Director Terry Zwigoff refused, leading to Joker director Todd Phillips stepping in for uncredited work.
Casting presented its own set of significant hurdles. Angus T. Jones of Two and a Half Men was the initial choice for Thurman Merman, while the role of Marcus saw numerous actors, including Peter Dinklage and Mickey Rooney, audition before Tony Cox was cast.
The greatest challenge, however, was finding the lead. Robert De Niro and Bill Murray were both attached to play Willie at different points but eventually backed out, with Murray reportedly ceasing all communication. The studio also unsuccessfully courted Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, and Jack Nicholson. The filmmakers’ top choice was James Gandolfini, who had just worked with executive producers the Coen brothers on The Man Who Wasn’t There. Screenwriters John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were so set on the Sopranos star that they wrote the entire script in his distinct speaking rhythm. Despite their efforts, Gandolfini ultimately did not take the role.
