HBO Max delivered an early holiday present by releasing the trailer for A Christmas Story Christmas on November 1. The film is a sequel to the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story and features the return of Peter Billingsley, 51, as a grown-up Ralphie, who is now married with two children. They return to his former home on Cleveland Street and reunite with his mother after the death of his father, The Old Man.

“Oh life moves fast,” Ralphie says in a voiceover at the start of the trailer, as we see the first glimpse of Ralphie 40 years later. “One day you’re playing kick the can with kids named Flick and Schwartz. And the next thing you know you’re a certified adult.”

Ralphie’s mother wants the Parker family to have a “wonderful Christmas,” in honor of her late husband, so Ralphie tries to give his children the same joyful Christmas experience he had as a child. He takes them to see Santa, has them put ornaments on a tree, and lets them build a snowman, but not everything goes according to plan.

Ralphie also reunites with some old friends, including Flick and Schwartz, and his childhood bully Scut. Schwartz is triple-dog -dared into sliding off a massive hill — a perfect callback to the original film! Ralphie’s biggest test is coming to terms with the passing of his father.

Peter isn’t the only original cast member back for A Christmas Story Christmas. Zack Ward returns as town bully Scut Farkus, who is now a police officer. R.D. Robb and Scott Schwartz reprise their roles as Schwartz and Flick, while Ian Petrella, who played Ralphie’s younger brother Randy Parker, is back for the sequel as well. Julie Hagerty is taking on the role of Mrs. Parker, originated by Melinda Dillon who has retired from acting. The new cast members include Erinn Hayes as Ralphie’s wife, Sandy Parker, and River Drosche and Julianna Layne as Ralphie’s kids, Mark and Julie Parker.

Clay Kaytis directed A Christmas Story Christmas while Peter also served as an executive producer with Vince Vaughn. “I’m very grateful to have been a part of the film,” Peter said about making the first film in a 2020 interview with the American Film Institute. “It’s been nice to see it bring joy to a lot of families, and that’s really been the one big takeaway that I consistently get.”

A Christmas Story Christmas will be released November 17 on HBO Max. The original film was released on November 18, 1983, so the sequel’s release date is almost exactly the same almost 40 years later.