Movies: TOP COMEDIANS T.J. MILLER, KATE McKINNON ADD LIFE TO “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY”

Two of Hollywood's funniest comedians – T.J. Miller (Deadpool, Transformers: Age of Extinction) and Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters) – bring the shenanigans in Paramount Pictures' holiday comedy Office Christmas Party.

In the film, when the CEO Carol Venstone (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, Clay Venstone (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

The latest comedy from directors Will Speck & Josh Gordon (Blades of Glory) co-stars Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell, Vanessa Bayer, Courtney B. Vance, Rob Corddry, Sam Richardson, Jamie Chung and Randall Park.

For the character of Clay Vanstone, the directors needed an actor who could bring equal parts mayhem and legitimacy. They found both in stand-up comedian and actor T.J. Miller.

“T.J. is the kind of guy you walk into a bar with and 10 minutes later he’s the center of a hundred people,” says Gordon. “He’s as charismatic as the characters he plays.” “T.J. delivers an incredible amount of heart and humanity that we never envisioned,” says Speck.

“I subconsciously based my character on an actual boss I had once who believed you could have a great time and still get your work done,” Miller recalls. “She never saw having fun as an obstacle to productivity, and that’s a philosophy I’ve used to inform Clay’s management strategy.”

Once Clay hatches the plan for the Christmas party, he immediately encounters opposition from Mary (Kate McKinnon), their rules-obsessed Head of Human Resources.

“Mary takes her job very seriously, and wants everyone to be safe and comfortable,” says McKinnon. “The irony is a lot of her rules make people uncomfortable.”

“When we first meet Mary, she’s pretty buttoned up,” McKinnon explains. “As the night rolls on, she gets some encouragement from her co-workers and goes to some interesting places.”

Speck and Gordon were fans of McKinnon’s work on Saturday Night Live long before she was cast in the film. “In her sketches on SNL, Kate makes each of her characters so idiosyncratic. They’re all so layered and hilarious, we knew we could just let her run with an idea and she’d make it sing,” says Gordon.

“The first time we see Mary, she’s wearing a non-denominational holiday sweater,” says Speck. “Since it doesn’t exist in the real world, it took months to design and days to knit by hand, but it tells you about all you need to know about Mary as a character.”

“We discussed Mary’s backstory and came to the conclusion that she was probably German, given her love of rules,” Speck recalls. “We found this German folk song for her to sing, and without really translating it, she just decided it was about little ducklings. She embraced it.”

“Kate came up with the idea that Mary has parrots, and keeping those birds alive is what’s motivating her professionally,” Gordon concludes.

Opening across the Philippines on December 07, Office Christmas Party is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: JASON BATEMAN, THE DESIGNATED ADULT IN ROWDY “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY”

Attaining leading-man status in Hollywood in front of and behind the camera through such films as Zootopia, Identity Thief, The Switch and Horrible Bosses, Jason Bateman now stars in Paramount Pictures' holiday comedy Office Christmas Party.

Morale is at an all-time low at Zenotek’s Chicago office after their pragmatic Interim CEO, Carol Vanstone (Jennifer Aniston) announces plans to shut down their underperforming branch days before Christmas. Realizing no mere Holiday party can lift the spirits of his employees, eccentric branch president (and Carol’s kid brother) Clay Vanstone (T.J. Miller) enlists the help of Chief Technical Officer Josh (Bateman), and Lead Systems Engineer Tracey (Olivia Munn) to make their own Christmas miracle by throwing an epic, unforgettably over-the-top Christmas party to win over a high profile client (Courtney B. Vance) and save everyone’s jobs.

When assembling the all-star cast of disgruntled office workers, Jason Bateman provided the first piece of the puzzle in the role of Josh, the office’s designated adult.

“Jason’s at his best when he’s at the center of outrageousness and he can react to what’s going on. It’s a skill very few actors have,” says director Will Speck. “Jason hits that sweet spot of having a grounded sense of comedy but isn’t afraid to look ridiculous,” adds director Josh Gordon.

Bateman and Aniston were Speck and Gordon’s first choice for their respective roles, having worked with both previously on 2010’s The Switch. Office Christmas Party marks Aniston’s fifth collaboration with Bateman and second with Speck and Gordon.

“Jen and Jason are very close friends,” says producer Scott Stuber. “They spend a lot of time together on and off camera, which results in their great chemistry. The relaxed, fluidity of their performance style really sets the tone for the whole cast.”

Opening across the Philippines on Dec. 07, Office Christmas Party is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: ANISTON'S FEISTY CEO CANNOT STOP HER “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY”

Golden Globe and Emmy award-winner Jennifer Aniston stars in Paramount Pictures' Office Christmas Party as pragmatic CEO, Carol Vanstone who announces plans to shut down one of her underperforming branchs days before Christmas.

Realizing no mere Holiday party can lift the spirits of his employees, eccentric branch president (and Carol’s kid brother) Clay Vanstone (T.J. Miller) enlists the help of Chief Technical Officer Josh (Jason Bateman), and Lead Systems Engineer Tracey (Olivia Munn) to make their own Christmas miracle by throwing an epic, unforgettably over-the-top Christmas party to win over a high profile client (Courtney B. Vance) and save everyone’s jobs.

“We created this character for Jennifer because she’s absolutely fearless when it comes to playing somewhat unlikeable characters in comedies,” says director Josh Gordon. “For her, the more daring the role, the better.”

Rather than play Carol as a villain, Aniston framed her character in terms of her relationship with Clay in their youth. “I looked upon Carol as sort of a grown up Jeanie Bueller to Clay’s Ferris Bueller,” says Aniston. “She has incredible resentment toward him because he’s a goof off and got every break growing up. She’s wants to prove herself as the smartest, most competent person in the room. Sadly, she didn’t really develop her soft, fuzzy side.”

Aniston and Bateman were directors Will Speck and Gordon’s first choice for their respective roles, having worked with both previously on 2010’s The Switch. Office Christmas Party marks Aniston’s fifth collaboration with Bateman and second with Speck and Gordon.

“Jen and Jason are very close friends,” says producer Scott Stuber. “They spend a lot of time together on and off camera, which results in their great chemistry. The relaxed, fluidity of their performance style really sets the tone for the whole cast.”

“We’re all like family at this point,” says Aniston. “There’s definitely a shorthand and confidence as to how we all work together. If you have that trust, you can immediately tell one another what works and what doesn’t.”

The latest comedy from directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (Blades of Glory, The Switch) co-stars Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Jamie Chung, and Courtney B. Vance in the funniest movie of the holiday season.

Opening across the Philippines on Dec. 07, Office Christmas Party is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY” – ITS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

In Office Christmas Party, when the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

The latest comedy from directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (Blades of Glory) co-stars Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Jamie Chung, and Courtney B. Vance in the funniest movie of the holiday season.

Once upon a time, the office Christmas party was a highly anticipated tradition, an epic night of drinking and festivities that blurred the line between co-worker and friend, employer and employee.

Since the fallout from the night’s unbridled events frequently lead to countless hangovers, lawsuits, and weeks of awkward apologies, overzealous HR departments spent decades reigning in the wild and raucous office Christmas ragers until the once legendary celebrations evolved into the staid, polite and family friendly affairs we know today as “Holiday” Parties.

“The office Christmas party is really a throwback to a less civilized time. It’s like the dire wolf skeleton you see at the La Brea Tar Pits,” says Producer Scott Stuber. “The “Holiday” party today is like a house-broken pug… it’s not going to hurt anyone, and it plays well with children, but somewhere, deep down it still has that dire wolf DNA.”

“An office Christmas party isn’t a religious celebration,” argues T. J. Miller, who plays Zenotek’s Chicago Branch President Clay Vanstone. “It’s a celebration of letting go and not being afraid to tell your boss what you really think without getting fired.”

Directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon were immediately drawn to the concept of a magical night where professional and social barriers were less defined. “There’s a universal wish fulfillment in having one night of the year where people live honestly, perhaps with some help from drugs and alcohol,” says Speck.

“The office Christmas party really breaks down the caste system,” says Gordon. “Suddenly everyone from the top of the food chain to the bottom is equalized and that makes for a great comedic jumping off point.”

The initial idea for the film came after a family member told Producer Guymon Casady about a decadent corporate Christmas party she had recently attended. “As she was regaling us with just the scale and the fun of it all, it occurred to me that a party like that would be the basis for a great, R-rated comedy,” says Casady. “There’s a vicarious thrill to witness that kind of chaos contained in a movie. It can go completely off the rails but you don’t have to worry about the consequences or having to clean up in the morning.”

Despite the more fantastical elements of the story, the filmmakers approached the story in a grounded way.

“We wanted to see a team of people at its most dysfunctional,” Casady explains. “Then see how barriers break, alliances shift and people connect over the course of a night. The key was keeping the fun of a no-holds-barred Christmas celebration front and center while telling these interwoven stories of the various people in the office.”

“The party is the star of the film,” says Speck, “but that makes our characters that much more important. They have to be realistic, relatable people you’d want to spend a crazy night with. Parties aren’t any fun when you don’t know anybody.”

“We wanted each character to start with their feet on the ground,” says Gordon. “So as things get more and more ridiculous, you’re invested and along for the ride.”

Opening across the Philippines on Dec. 07, Office Christmas Party is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY” SENDS OUT CHARACTER POSTERS

You're invited! Paramount Pictures has just unveiled three new character posters for its upcoming holiday comedy, Office Christmas Party. The one-sheets highlight castmembers Jennifer Aniston, T.J. Miller, Kate McKinnon and Rob Corddry.

Check out the posters below and watch the movie when it opens in the Philippines on Dec. 07.

In Office Christmas Party, when the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

The latest comedy from directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (Blades of Glory) co-stars Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Jamie Chung, and Courtney B. Vance in the funniest movie of the holiday season.

Office Christmas Party is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: THINGS GET WILDER IN THE NEW “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY” TRAILER

It's beginning to look a lot like a wild Christmas as things get raunchier in the new trailer for Paramount Pictures' new holiday comedy, Office Christmas Party. View the trailer at https://youtu.be/8bij9nox85Iand watch the movie when it opens in the Philippines on Dec. 07.

In “Office Christmas Party,” when the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

The latest comedy from directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (Blades of Glory) co-stars Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Jamie Chung, and Courtney B. Vance in the funniest movie of the holiday season.

Office Christmas Party is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: GET WASTED IN “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY” TEASER POSTER

The teaser poster for Paramount Pictures' new holiday comedy Office Christmas Party has just been released, encouraging office workers to “Party like your job depends on it.”

In “Office Christmas Party,” when the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

The latest comedy from directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (Blades of Glory) co-stars Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Jamie Chung, and Courtney B. Vance in the funniest movie of the holiday season.

Opening across the Philippines on December 07, “Office Christmas Party” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: HOLIDAY CHAOS IN “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY” TEASER TRAILER

Paramount Pictures has just released the teaser trailer of its upcoming holiday comedy “Office Christmas Party,” in Philippine cinemas December 7^th.

Watch the trailer here at http://youtu.be/9W3AhSFKFKk.

In “Office Christmas Party,” when the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

Directed by Josh Gordon & Will Speck, the comedy stars Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Courtney B. Vance, Vanessa Bayer and Jamie Chung.

“Office Christmas Party” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.