Highlights
- Twisted Holiday Classic Returns: Mel Gibson’s controversial 2020 action-comedy, Fatman, is making its much-anticipated return to streaming, available now on Paramount+.
- Santa with a Gun: The film features Gibson as a grizzled, world-weary Santa Claus who finds himself in a deadly battle with a highly-skilled assassin.
- A Hit on Santa: The wild plot is kicked off when a bitter 12-year-old boy, angry about receiving coal, hires a hitman (Walton Goggins) to kill Santa.
- More Than Just Santa: Gibson is also deep in production on two sequels to The Passion of the Christ, continuing his work on high-stakes, controversial films.
A Not-So-Jolly Saint Nick
If you’re tired of the same sentimental holiday movies, you won’t want to miss the return of a modern cult classic. Mel Gibson’s Fatman, the violent and darkly comic Christmas film, has officially returned to Paramount+, just in time to inject some adrenaline into your holiday season. The 2020 movie shatters the festive mold, presenting a Santa Claus who is more of a grizzled antihero than a cheerful gift-giver.
A Christmas Story with a Body Count
Directed by brothers Ian and Eshom Nelms, Fatman reimagines Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson) as a struggling icon. With his workshop’s business in decline, he’s forced into a reluctant partnership with the U.S. military to keep Christmas alive. However, his problems escalate dramatically when a spoiled 12-year-old receives a lump of coal in his stocking and decides that the only rational response is to hire a professional killer to eliminate Santa for good.
The film’s official synopsis captures the chaotic energy perfectly:
“To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-comedy that keeps on giving.”
Wick vs. Kringle
The hitman, played with menacing glee by Walton Goggins (Fallout, Justified), serves as the perfect unhinged foil to Gibson’s cynical Santa. What ensues is less Miracle on 34th Street and more John Wick in the North Pole, as a deadly cat-and-mouse game unfolds in the snow. It’s a blood-soaked, wickedly funny ride that turns the holiday genre on its head.
What Else Is Mel Gibson Working On?
While fans get ready for a different kind of Christmas cheer with Fatman, Gibson remains busy with other highly anticipated projects. He is currently overseas directing two sequels to his monumental film, The Passion of the Christ. The new installments, titled The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One and Part Two, are scheduled for release in 2027. Rumors also continue to circulate about Gibson’s potential return to the director’s chair for the long-awaited Lethal Weapon 5.
For now, you can catch his unique take on Saint Nick in Fatman, streaming now on Paramount+.
Image Referance: https://collider.com/mel-gibson-fatman-streaming-paramount-plus-november-2025/