Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project, Blockers) has joined the cast of Naughty, Universal Pictures’ upcoming holiday comedy directed by Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, The Invite), starring Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dinklage.

Originating from a spec script by Jimmy Warden (Cocaine Bear), the narrative follows Mallory (Aniston), a mother locked in a bitter custody battle over her young son. Believing conventional legal measures are futile against her manipulative ex-husband, she embarks on an expedition to find Santa Claus (Dinklage) and convince him to take the stand as a character witness at her divorce hearing. Sources indicate Barinholtz is slated to play the contentious ex-husband, joining a supporting lineup that includes Regina Hall and Chase Sui Wonders.

Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara are producing through their LuckyChap Entertainment banner alongside Wilde and Warden. Universal’s Executive Vice President of Production Development Sara Scott and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio. Universal has slated the film for a nationwide theatrical release on November 5, 2027.

The casting reunites Barinholtz with Wonders, his co-star alongside Seth Rogen on Apple TV+’s comedy series The Studio. Barinholtz also co-created, executive produces, and writes Netflix’s comedy series Running Point alongside Mindy Kaling and David Stassen, and will next be seen portraying Elon Musk in Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI-focused feature satire Artificial for Neon.