Warning: Spoilers ahead for Paramount+‘sDear Santamovie.Ben Stiller’s surprise appearance inDear Santais one of the movie’s best moments, and although it works well in isolation, Stiller’s presence also serves as a clever nod to another Jack Black project from over two decades ago.Stiller’sDear Santacasting places him in his second 2024 Christmas movie- with the other being Hulu’sNutcrackers. So,the holidays this year mark an acting resurgence for Ben Stillerafter focusing far more on behind-the-scenes roles in recent years.
Although he doesn’t appear until near theend ofDear Santa, Stiller has a surpisingly large impact on the plot. Fans who follow Jack Black’s career outside the movie industry will get a little more out of Stiller’s role in theDear Santacastthan those who only know Black as an actor. The pair have a long-standing relationship that isn’t limited to feature-length productions, andDear Santapays off one of their more niche team-ups.
Dear Santa Is The Second Time Ben Stiller Has Appeared In A Jack Black Project About A Deal With The Devil
Jack Black fronts a two-piece comedy rock band called Tenacious D. His fellow band member, Kyle Gass, has a brief cameo inDear Santaas a teacher, but Ben Stiller is the real nod to Black’s musical back catalog. In 2002, Tenacious D released a song named “Tribute,” and Stiller showed his face very briefly in the track’s accompanying music video. The song’s lyrical content and video chronicles Tenacious D’s fictitious run-in with the devil, whereLucifer challenges the band to play the best song in the world, or he’ll eat their souls.
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.
Robert Timothy Smith’s Liam Turner also risks losing his soul inDear Santa, and also due to a deal with the devil - albeit indirectly. The main differences are thatStiller’s role inDear Santais far more substantialthan his appearance in the “Tribute” video, and the respective bargains don’t have exactly the same terms. The devil in “Tribute” will only harvest souls if something isn’t achieved, whereas Jack Black’sDear Santacharacter takes souls after he grants them three wishes. Still, Stiller’s presence in both Jack Black projects cements the already-existing connection.
Ben Stiller Is Good As The Devil, But Dear Santa Missed Out On A Clever Casting
Dave Grohl would have been a brilliant addition to the Dear Santa cast
Stiller just plays a regular passerby in the “Tribute” video rather than the devil. Instead, Tenacious D brought in Foo Fightersfrontman Dave Grohl to step into the demonic role, as he also contributed drum and guitar parts to the song’s studio recording. Although Stiller did a great job inDear Santa,Grohl not reprising his “Tribute” role seems like a big missed opportunityin retrospect. It wouldn’t have particularly alteredDear Santa’s story, but it would have been a far more direct reference to the music video than the one brought about by Stiller’s casting.
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.
