Samara Weaving has joined Naughty, Olivia Wilde’s holiday comedy for Universal Pictures, adding another major name to an ensemble led by Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage.
Weaving will play the mistress of the character portrayed by Ike Barinholtz. The cast also includes Chase Sui Wonders and Regina Hall, who are appearing as the best friends of Aniston’s character.
Written as a spec script by Jimmy Warden, Naughty follows a mother, played by Aniston, fighting to secure custody of her son from her gaslighting ex, played by Barinholtz. Her unlikely plan requires tracking down Santa Claus and persuading him to testify at the couple’s divorce hearing.
Dinklage is set to play Santa Claus. Sources have characterized the project as “Bridesmaids in the North Pole,” pointing to a combination of adult ensemble comedy, family conflict and a holiday setting.
Weaving’s character places her within the story’s central marital dispute, while Wonders and Hall will support Aniston’s mother as her closest friends. With the latest casting, the comedy’s key relationships now include the divorcing couple, the ex’s mistress, the mother’s friendship circle and the Santa Claus figure at the heart of her custody strategy.
Wilde’s Next Directing Project
Wilde is directing Naughty as her follow-up to The Invite, the relationship comedy she helmed and which A24 released over the summer.
Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara’s LuckyChap banner is producing Naughty. Wilde and Warden are also serving as producers.
Universal executive vice president of production development Sara Scott and director of production development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project for the studio.
The film already has a firm place on Universal’s release calendar. The studio has scheduled the comedy to open on Nov. 5, 2027.
Weaving Adds Another High-Profile Role
The Naughty casting comes during a busy stretch for Weaving. She had two films released this year: Over Your Dead Body and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.
She also recently made film headlines with her casting as Emma Frost, also known as the White Queen, in Marvel’s new X-Men feature. That project is due to begin shooting next spring or summer.
Weaving is represented by CAA, 111 Media and Johnson Shapiro.
ShowBiz Take
Weaving’s addition matters because Naughty is building its comedy around a full network of clashing personal relationships rather than relying only on its Santa-centered premise. Her role as the ex’s mistress connects directly to the divorce and custody battle driving Aniston’s character to seek help from Dinklage’s Santa Claus.
The ensemble also gives Wilde distinct groups to work with: Aniston’s mother and her friends, Barinholtz’s ex and his mistress, and Dinklage as the extraordinary potential witness. Combined with Warden’s unusual courtroom-meets-North-Pole setup, the casting suggests Universal and the producers are putting considerable emphasis on the characters surrounding the central holiday hook.
What Happens Next?
With Weaving now joining Aniston, Dinklage, Wonders, Hall and Barinholtz, Naughty continues to assemble its cast ahead of its Nov. 5, 2027 theatrical opening through Universal Pictures.