Cineverse has acquired North American VOD and streaming rights to Ralph’s Perfekt Christmas, the debut feature from Next Chapter Entertainment. The film will begin a limited theatrical engagement October 30, ahead of Cineverse’s digital release November 3, 2026 simultaneously on TVOD and Screambox.
Tom McLaren (“Expelled”) stars as Ralph, a likable family man whose fanatical obsession with Christmas pushes his wife towards divorce, leaving his life in shambles. Determined to win her back, Ralph devises a crazy plan involving kidnapping the former child star of his favorite Christmas movie. When his ill-conceived scheme spirals wildly out of control, Ralph’s pursuit of his perfect Christmas takes increasingly dark and unexpected turns.
The film also features Charlie Schlatter (“Diagnosis Murder”), Jill Schoelen (“The Stepfather”), Casey Burke (“The Middle”), Landon Gimenez (“Resurrection”), and marks the return to the big screen of Lynda Day George (“Mission: Impossible”, “Roots”). The supporting cast includes special guest appearances by Hollywood veterans Susan Blakely (“Rich Man, Poor Man”, “The Towering Inferno”), Marta Kristen (“Lost in Space”), Nicholle Tom (“The Nanny”), Trevor Lissauer (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”), Bill Mumy (“Lost in Space”) and Angela Cartwright (“Lost in Space”, “The Sound of Music”).
Former Twentieth Century Fox chief operating officer Mary McLaren served as executive producer. Mary McLaren and Tom McLaren produced the film through their Next Chapter Entertainment banner. The screenplay was written by award-winning screenwriter Jeremy Padow and award-winning author Tom McLaren, based upon an original story by Padow.
“Ralph’s Perfekt Christmas is exactly the kind of smart, distinctive, genre-bending film that resonates with Cineverse and Screambox audiences,” said Dan Fisher, vice president of acquisitions at Cineverse. “The film combines an original story with unexpected twists, turns, and a surprise ending coupled with a standout performance by Tom McLaren as Ralph that makes this film a ‘must watch’ for the holidays.”
“We’re excited to partner with the incredible Cineverse team to deliver Ralph’s Perfekt Christmas to a broad audience,” said producer Mary McLaren. “We set out to target everyone who considers Die Hard a ‘Christmas Movie’ and Cineverse is an ideal distribution partner for reaching that audience seeking alternate holiday content.” Co-producer Tom McLaren added.
“The film blends comedy, drama, thrills, chills, and emotion, with a twist of horror to deliver a very unconventional Christmas story. Cineverse has demonstrated a strong understanding of adult audiences looking for genre entertainment, and we are looking forward to working with its team on the release.”
The acquisition was negotiated by Fisher, on behalf of Cineverse and directly with the filmmakers.
Internationally, Spirit Entertainment will handle VOD and streaming distribution starting November 9, and DVD/Blu-Ray releases are slated for December in the United Kingdom (Spirit Entertainment) and France (ESCD). Ralph’s Perfekt Christmas will begin its limited theatrical engagement at the Cinema Village in New York City on October 30.
