Danny Glover to Play Santa in New Disney Original Movie ‘The Naughty Nine’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Danny Glover as Santa Claus in ‘The Naughty Nine’. (All Photos Featuring Danny Glover Courtesy of Jonathan Wenk/Disney.)

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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Something that is genuinely fascinating about this time of year, is how much preparation is going into the two seasons that await us. For there are people preparing hard for Spooky Season while there are others ramping up to enjoy their Holiday Season. Simply because fall encourages us to enjoy whichever season we love and both lines of thinking for people are perfectly fine and perfectly right. It’s just incredible how much preparation is happening right now, and what’s equally as wild, is that television networks and studios also understand this dynamic and are making announcements left and right regarding Halloween programming and Holiday programing, and this includes Disney.

Because it wasn’t that long ago, that we came to learn of the Goosebumps revival that is coming to Disney+ to celebrate the all-important Halloween season, and today… we garnered a sampling of what’s to come for the Holiday season. For earlier they let it be known that a brand-new holiday feature is arriving on the Disney Channel on 11/22 (and will air on Disney+ on 11/23), entitled, The Naughty Nine. A feature that will offer a dynamic and unique plot, worthy of the Disney name, and it will also feature Danny Glover playing the iconic character of Santa Claus. And well, since you’re here to learn more about some Holiday programming because that’s where your heart lies during the season… here are all the details on this fascinating new Holiday feature. Along with a teaser and some first-look photos (courtesy of Disney), to help prepare you for your Holiday viewing adventures.

‘Just in time for the holidays, Disney Branded Television announced today that its new Disney Original Movie “The Naughty Nine” will debut Wednesday, Nov. 22 (8:00-9:35 p.m. EST), on Disney Channel and Thursday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving Day), on Disney+. Centered on a clever crew of enterprising kids who plot an elaborate at the North Pole, “The Naughty Nine” will feature acclaimed actor Danny Glover (“Lethal Weapon”) in the role of Santa Claus, it was also announced today along with the release of the movie’s teaser. 

In “The Naughty Nine,” mischievous fifth grader Andy finds himself without a present from Santa on Christmas morning. Realizing he must have landed on the “naughty list” and feeling unfairly maligned, Andy pulls together a team of eight other “naughty listers” to help him execute an elaborate heist in Santa’s Village at the North Pole to get the presents they feel they deserve. Along the way, the group comes to realize that the very best way off the naughty list is to redirect their unique talents for good ― instead of mischief. 

The movie’s talented ensemble includes Winslow Fegley (“8-Bit Christmas”) as Andy; Camila Rodriguez as Dulce, Andy’s best friend and archery expert; Anthony Joo ("New Amsterdam") as North Pole conspiracy theorist Lewis; Imogen Cohen (“The Fairly Oddparents”) as daredevil “wheel woman” Ha-Yoon; Clara Stack (“Hawkeye”) as animal whisperer Rose; Deric McCabe (“A Wrinkle in Time”) as master-of-disguise Jon Anthony; Ayden Elijah as adorable charmer Albert; and Madilyn Kellam (“Afterwalker”) as Andy’s older sister, Laurel, a skilled gymnast seeking to regain her confidence. Derek Theler (“Baby Daddy”) is Bruno, a disgruntled cargo pilot who claims to have witnessed Santa’s sleigh.

As portrayed by award-winning actor and producer Glover, Santa Claus is a wise and imposing figure with a twinkle of humor who is always one step ahead of Andy. Best known for his role in the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise, Glover has starred in an array of motion pictures, including the critically acclaimed “Dreamgirls” and the futuristic “2012” for director Roland Emmerich. In 2022, Glover was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Honorary Academy Award for his decades-long advocacy for justice and human rights.

Alberto Belli (“House of Flowers”) directed “The Naughty Nine,” and Suzanne Todd (“Noelle”) is an executive producer. “The Naughty Nine” was written by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (“Raven’s Home”), who also serve as executive producers.’

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The Cast of ‘The Naughty Nine’. (Photo Courtesy of Caitlin Cronenberg/Disney.)