Daily Variety reports today that the NBC network is re-imagining the 1974 Rankin & Bass stop-motion holiday special, The Year Without a Santa Claus, as a two-hour, live-action production. Produced by Mark Wolper’s The Wolper Co. in association with Warner Bros. Television, the movie will be completed in time to air this holiday season.

The new script from Larry Wilson and Tom Martin will revisit the year that Santa Claus decides to take a year off but ends up saving Christmas from the mischievous Heat Miser and Snow Miser. City Slickers helmer Ron Underwood is reportedly directing actor John Goodman in the title role, which Mickey Rooney voiced in the animated pic. Supporting performances will be supplied by Ethan Suplee (My Name Is Earl), Chris Kattan (Saturday Night Live), Eddie Griffin (Date Movie) and Carol Kane (Scrooged). According to the trade, the new version won’t be a musical, but fans of the original animated production can expect a few nods to the perennial holiday favorite, which is owned by Warner Bros.

Though they produced many television shows and films during their careers, Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. are best known for animated holiday specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman and Mad, Mad Monster Party.