HBO Max to Release A Christmas Story Sequel with Original Ralphie Actor Peter Billingsley

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A Christmas Story fans, rejoice!

Forty years after the beloved holiday classic hit theaters, a sequel is scheduled to be released on HBO Max, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Titled A Christmas Story Christmas, the film will be directed by Clay Kaytis, and a deal is being closed for Peter Billingsley — the star of the original 1983 movie — to reprise his role of Ralphie and produce the project.

Alongside Billingsley, 50, the film will also be produced by Vince Vaughn through the pair's Wild West Picture Show Productions for Legendary and Warner Bros.

Production is scheduled to begin sometime next month in Hungary, THR added.

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The original A Christmas Story is set in the 1940s and follows a nine-year-old boy and his desire to obtain a Red Ryder BB rifle for Christmas.

The forthcoming sequel, according to THR, "will take place in the 1970s and sees an adult Ralphie return to his house on Cleveland Street to deliver his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had growing up."

The outlet adds that those working on the film hope to "recreate the same real-life tone of the first movie" by showing a grown Ralphie "reconnect with childhood friends" and "reconcile the passing of his Old Man." They also plan to include "callbacks to the initial film."

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Following his success as a child actor in A Christmas Story, Billingsley has focused on a career behind the scenes as an adult.

Back in 2018, Billingsley spoke to Variety to commemorate the 35th anniversary of A Christmas Story. There, he gave credit to the film's director, Bob Clark, for helping him to transition to working behind the camera.

"He was absolutely encouraging and supportive," Billingsley told the outlet at the time. "I would visit him on sets. We would talk and play golf together."