Warning: this article contains spoilers for Dear Santa
Dear Santa saw Jack Black step into the sinister role of Asmodeus, a demonic figure from Jewish lore. Paramount+’s Christmas comedy Dear Santa follows a boy named Liam who makes wishes after accidentally sending his Christmas list to Satan rather than Santa. Dear Santa‘s cast is led by Jack Black as Santa/Asmodeus who hopes to trick Liam into selling his soul. While the premise may sound unusual for a family-friendly Christmas movie, Black’s comical portrayal of the demon keeps everything lighthearted and fun.
As the movie progresses, the audience gets a bit more insight into Asmodeus’ plan to trick Liam as well as his failure to become a full demon by Dear Santa‘s ending. It is revealed that Asmodeus is only one of many demons commanded by Lucifer, and is not even a very good demon at that. While Dear Santa feels like a unique and modern take on a Christmas movie, Jack Black’s character is actually inspired by some very old legends which help explain who the character is.
Asmodeus Is The King Of Demons In The Religious Legends Of Solomon
Asmodeus Appeared In Texts As Early As The 3rd Century BCE
Asmodeus appears in early Judeo-Christian texts, particularly surrounding the legends of Solomon. Solomon was a King of Israel who built the Temple of Solomon. In these stories, Solomon is said to have tricked the demon Asmodeus, who is sometimes given other names or different spellings, into helping him build the temple. Though Asmodeus’ appearance and temperament change in different sources, he is often portrayed as a trickster and is not necessarily always completely evil.
there does appear to be some similarities between the version of Asmodeus in real-life mythology and the character portrayed by Jack Black in the movie.
In a different part of the story of Solomon and Asmodeus, it is stated that after finishing the Temple of Solomon, Asmodeus placed one of his wings on the ground and one in the sky and threw Solomon to the far side of his kingdom. The demon took Solomon’s place until the latter returned and Asmodeus ran away. Although the context of the religious stories and Dear Santa are very different, there does appear to be some similarities between the version of Asmodeus in real-life mythology and the character portrayed by Jack Black in the movie.
How Dear Santa’s Depiction Of Asmodeus Compares To The Real-World Mythology
Dear Santa’s Asmodeus Is More Comical Than In Myths
The Satan that Dear Santa conjures up is certainly more comical than its religious inspirations, but Black’s character still has deep connections to his mythological counterpart. In some religious texts, as well as in the book on witchcraft, the Malleus Maleficarum, Asmodeus is a King of Demons who serves under Lucifer. This is essentially the same as is presented in Dear Santa, though Dear Santa ultimately changes Asmodeus’ heart through his care for Liam.
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Likewise, throughout many of the legends, Asmodeus is not completely malevolent, but will disguise himself to take advantage of unsuspecting humans. Furthermore, some Islamic sources depict him as being trapped in stone and called forth by humans. These depictions, dating back hundreds of years, also seem to have influenced the character in Dear Santa. Black’s Asmodeus is funny and conniving in his impersonation of Santa when he is summoned by Liam. Throughout the movie, it is clear that, while the character is updated for Dear Santa, Asmodeus is definitely inspired by the historical legends of the figure.
Due to a mix-up, young Liam, a dyslexic 6th grader, sends a letter to Satan instead of Santa, leading Satan to appear at his door, delighted by his first-ever fan letter and interested in acquiring a portion of Liam’s soul.
- Director
- Bobby Farrelly
- Writers
- Ricky Blitt , Peter Farrelly , Dan Ewen
- Cast
- Jack Black , Robert Timothy Smith , Brianne Howey , Hayes MacArthur , Keegan-Michael Key , Post Malone , P.J. Byrne , Jaden Carson Baker , Kai Cech
- Release Date
- November 25, 2024
