Over the past few years, Netflix has been ramping up production on original movie content, to great success. A few streaming franchises were born as a result, including the holiday adventure The Christmas Chronicles. The first sequel arrived in time for last year's holiday season, with Netflix subscribers tuning in to watch Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Santa and Mrs. Clause respectively. And it turns out that the Christmas Chronicles 2 nearly features a NSFW scene involving the butt of Julian Dennison's villainous Belsnickel.
The Christmas Chronicles 2 greatly expanded the franchise's universe, and gave backstory for that particular version of the North Pole. Deadpool 2 actor Julian Dennison served as the primary antagonist, as a former elf who sought revenge on Santa after transforming into a human. And it turns out that the flashback which revealed this exposition nearly features Dennison running through the Pole sans clothes. CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes recently spoke with both the actor and VFX Supervisor Martin Hill, where they spoke about this scrapped NSFW flashback:
Julian Dennison: I remember transforming into a human … the barn scene. We were in the stable, and I’m next to the sleigh, I remember this whole bit, transforming in the shadows, running off. I remember in an earlier draft, I was supposed to be butt naked. I was supposed to be naked, and they were going to get me to run through the [forest.] Like, you could tell I’m naked, but not really, because I’d be running through the forest and shadows. I think they remembered that it was The Christmas Chronicles, it’s for all ages, but mainly kids will watch it. So they couldn’t get me fully naked, running through the forest. Do you remember that? There was a draft…Martin Hill: I do! We had the elf, and as it grew, Chris [Columbus] was like, ‘Well, can we have the clothes all kind of tear off, Hulk style?’ And it’s like, ‘Well, yeah, we can. But about age appropriateness…’
Well, that would have definitely been an interesting choice for The Christmas Chronicles 2. The burgeoning Netflix franchise is decidedly family friendly, with stakes that appeal to adults while also being light and meant for kids. But seeing a naked human butt might have pushed things a bit too blue for the otherwise delightful set of movies.
Mike Reyes' conversation with Martin Hill and Julian Dennison help to peel back the curtain on what it's like working on a major streaming blockbuster like The Christmas Chronicles 2. While subscribers get to see the polished finished product, a number of ideas were scrapped during the development, filming, and editing processes. And that includes an alternate version of Belsnickel's backstory that would have been surprisingly adult. But in the end Netflix's sequel didn't include any nudity,
Julian Dennison's character Belsnickel brought heightened stakes to The Christmas Chronicles 2, as there was a true villain for Santa and his friends to battle against. The 18 year-old actor first became known thanks to his role in Deadpool 2, and it's been great to see him continuing to work. And considering the ending of the sequel, it certainly seems possible that Belsnickel could return for a threequel.
Comic book fans are expecting Julian Dennison to reprise his role as Firefist in Deadpool 3, which is in the very early stages of development by Disney. Kevin Feige recently confirmed that Deadpool would indeed be added to the MCU, so Dennison's character will likely get the same treatment. We'll just have to wait and see how they pull this off, and if Firefist ends up having crossover moments with other Marvel characters. Luckily, we know it's expected to be an R-rated blockbuster.
There's currently no indication as to if The Christmas Chronicles 3 will happen. The first two movies were certainly popular on Netflix upon their release, but they no doubt have a massive budget due to the visual effects and starring cast of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. We'll just have to wait and see if a threequel is ordered, hopefully including Julian Dennison's Belsnickel. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.
