Hollywood’s Overstuffed Stocking
The soft numbers for “Fred Claus” were not glad tidings for the makers of a raft of Christmas-themed movies hitting theaters in coming weeks. The Yari Film Group has bitten the bullet and yanked “Christmas Wonderland,” a comedy with Chris Kattan, Patrick Swayze and Carmen Electra that was scheduled to open wide next Wednesday, opposite Screen Gems’ urban-themed “This Christmas” and “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” which has Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman acting positively goy-ish.
Earlier, Lionsgate scratched a planned November opening for “Thomas Kinkade’s Home for Christmas” starring Peter O’Toole and Marcia Gay Harden (pictured); the title alone was enough to induce diabetic shock. And mercifully, no 3D IMAX re-release of “The Polar Express” this year. Yari still has “The Perfect Holiday” (nee “This Christmas”) starring Queen Latifah on the schedule for Dec. 12. Ho Ho Ho!