'The Christmas Chronicles 2' Sneak Peek: 'Deadpool 2' Actor Julian Dennison Plays Belsnickel

Two years ago, 20 million people reportedly watched Kurt Russell don a red suit and beard to play Santa Claus in Netflix's The Christmas Chronicles. Goldie Hawn, who is Russell's real-life partner, cameoed as Mrs. Claus in that film, and now the couple have reunited for The Christmas Chronicles 2, which has been playing in some theaters in advance of its Netflix release this week.

Netflix has released a sneak peek clip which showcases the first two minutes of the new sequel, in which Deadpool 2 and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople actor Julian Dennison appears as Belsnickel, the movie's scheming antagonist. Check it out below.

In Germanic folklore, Belsnickel is a raggedy, crotchety, and more intense version of Santa Claus. But instead of simply giving gifts to nice children and dropping coal in the stockings of naughty ones like Santa is wont to do, Belsnickel takes things to an entirely different level: he physically beats bad children with a switch and passes out candies and sweet treats to good kids. You may recall that the character of Dwight Schrute dressed up as Belsnickel in a season 9 episode of The Office called "Dwight Christmas," which was edited earlier this year to remove a shot of a white character dressed in blackface as Belsnickel's assistant Black Peter.

In The Christmas Chronicles 2, it appears that Belsnickel is trying to destroy Christmas because of a grievance he holds against the Claus family. Here is the film's official description:

It's been two years since siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis) saved Christmas, and a lot has changed. Kate, now a cynical teenager, is reluctantly spending Christmas in Cancun with her mom's new boyfriend and his son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). Unwilling to accept this new version of her family, Kate decides to run away. But when a mysterious, magical troublemaker named Belsnickel threatens to destroy the North Pole and end Christmas for good, Kate and Jack are unexpectedly pulled into a new adventure with Santa Claus (Kurt Russell).

Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter) produced the first film, which was directed by Clay Kaytis (The Angry Birds Movie). But Columbus himself came back to write and direct this sequel, which is described as "an action-packed adventure for the whole family that's full of heart, humor, and holiday spirit." The Christmas Chronicles 2 is still playing in some Cinemark theaters and debuts on Netflix on November 25, 2020.