Kathryn Newton and Nick Jonas Crash Christmas in Holiday Horror White Elephant from Tucker & Dale vs. Evil Director

Here’s one for anyone who thinks Christmas movies could use a little more chaos (and maybe some blood). Kathryn Newton is sticking with the Radio Silence crew after working with them on Abigail and what's apparently titled Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. According to the latest from Deadline, Newton is now front and center in a brand new holiday horror flick called White Elephant—and she’s not alone. Nick Jonas (yeah, of Jonas Brothers fame) is also signed up for this festive nightmare.

So, What's the Deal with White Elephant?

This whole thing is part of the continuing partnership between Radio Silence and Project X (they've actually coined it RSPX, because there’s always got to be a catchy acronym somewhere). Basically, their mission is to crank out genre projects—think horror and thrillers—that are weird, wild, or at least trying something a little different.

Here’s the setup—directed by Eli Craig, who you might know from Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Little Evil. Craigs not just behind the camera; he’s also put his stamp on the script, which started out with JT Billings. The plot goes like this: eight friends get together for their annual Christmas gift exchange, but things somehow devolve into a straight-up survival match with a holiday twist. Or, as the logline puts it:

'Eight friends. One prize. Zero trust. Their annual festive holiday gift exchange spirals into a cutthroat game of Christmas carnage.'

So yeah, it’s Secret Santa, if Santa was a total psychopath.

The Who’s Who Behind This Mayhem

• Kathryn Newton and Nick Jonas are leading the cast.
• Eli Craig directs (and rewrote the script).
• JT Billings wrote the initial draft.
• MRC is putting up the money for this one.
• Spencer Berman and Nick Jonas are producing through Powered By Jonas (because that’s a real company name now), along with William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, and James Vanderbilt for Project X.
• The Radio Silence core team (Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin) are also producing.
• A truckload of executive producers: Kathryn Newton and JT Billings, plus Ryan McDonough, Amanda Drake, Scott Levine, and Chad Villella.

And before you ask: yes, filming has already started.

For the Newton Fans (and the Curious)

In case you haven’t been following Newton’s steady horror résumé—besides these Radio Silence movies, she’s also popped up in Paranormal Activity 4, A Housekeeper's Revenge, DreamQuil, Freaky, and literally played Lisa Frankenstein in, you guessed it, Lisa Frankenstein. Plus, if you were a Supernatural or The Society person, you’ve seen her there too.

Newton’s even talked about why she keeps coming back to the Radio Silence folks: 'They’re just so collaborative. They really listen and hear you and I think what I really like about them is they let me be a bit weird.' Honestly, if you’ve seen her recent movies, you know that’s a selling point.

One to Watch?

So, if you like your Christmas movies on the bloody (and maybe absurd) side, White Elephant sounds like it’s aiming for that sweet spot. With Eli Craig directing and Newton and Jonas onboard, this could be one to watch for anyone who likes their holiday spirit a little twisted.

Guess we’ll see if it delivers more 'Ho ho ho' or just a solid 'Oh no'...