Fatman: trailer, release date and who stars in the cast with Mel Gibson in the gritty Christmas movie

If the reaction on social media is anything to go by, we may have just found the perfect Christmas movie for 2020.

The trailer for Fatman dropped this week, starring Mel Gibson as a gritty, angry Santa Claus disillusioned with the world and hellbent on revenge.

There are also gunfights, menacing reindeer and gluttonous elves. It's as mad as it sounds.

Here’s everything you need to know about it:

What is Fatman about?

As the magic slowly fades from the world and more and more people stop believing in Santa Claus and the joy of Christmas, Chris Cringle’s business is in decline.

He’s understandably miffed at this, and the trailer shows us a Santa at his wit’s end when teenagers fire at and damage his sleigh with an air rifle.

Bowled over by the lack of respect, Cringle/Claus decided to pack it all in.

But the U.S. military have had their eye on his unique set of skills for a while, and sense an opportunity to recruit Claus from some top secret, black ops work.

He’s forced into partnership with the military, which is just as well because hot on his tale is a highly skilled assassin, known simply as ‘Skinny Man’.

Skinny Man’s been hired to hunt down and kill Santa Claus by a precocious 12-year-old who received a lump of coal in his stocking, and the two are soon locked in a deadly battle of action packed wits.

"I've come for your head, fatman!" warns Goggins' assassin in the trailer. "You think you're the first?!" shoots back Santa. "You think I got this job because I'm fat and jolly?"

Far from the family-friendly Christmas movies we’re used to, this looks to be a blood-pumping, violent affair, with its characters portrayed with gritty realism.

Who stars in it?

Mel Gibson is the star of the show, lending his grizzled acting chops to a Santa Claus who’s seen better days.

The Braveheart actor is hunted down by Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight) assassin, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (who viewers may recognise from series 2 of Broadchurch) plays Ruth.

Who’s directing it?

Fatman is directed by brother duo Eshom and Ian Nelms, who between them have previously helmed such obscure hits as Small Town Crime, Waffle Street, Lost on Purpose, and Squirrel Trap.

When can I see it?

No UK release date has yet been confirmed for Fatman, although it is scheduled to release in select US cinemas on 13 November.

It is coming to download services – at least in America – a week later on 17 November, so fans of schlocky action movies will be hoping it gets a worldwide digital release on the same day.