Billy Bob Thornton has confirmed there will be a 'Bad Santa 2'.

The 58-year-old actor admits there will be a second movie following on from the original hit in 2003, and filming is expected to kick off early next year after a few years of script struggles.

Speaking to the Observer's newspaper, he said: ''It's been pretty hard trying to get the script right. We've been through three or four drafts but we're getting real close. Then there's the business dealings to sort out, all the stuff I don't understand. But one way or another, the sequel will happen and the idea is to shoot it next year. We know we'll never beat the first film but we'll get as close as we can.''

The star previously said he was looking forward to getting back into the role of a conman, who robbed shopping centres under the disguise of Father Christmas during the holiday season.

He said: ''When they first said, 'Hey, we're gonna make a sequel to 'Bad Santa', I said, 'That's nice. I loved playing that character.' It's become an iconic movie and the public wants to see a sequel. I said, 'I've never done a sequel, but it makes sense to me to do this sequel.' It's the kind of movie you do a sequel for, so I was all for it.''

The hit comedy grossed $76 million worldwide.