Ralphie once again narrates A Christmas Story Christmas, but there is a new voice behind the narration in the sequel. There are plenty of similarities between A Christmas Story and its 2022 sequel beyond the various returning characters and familiar locations and events that unfold. A Christmas Story uses narration once again to propel the story forward and give audiences a better grasp of what Ralphie Parker is thinking throughout the movie. Jean Shepherd narrated the original movie as adult Ralphie, but an understandable change happens for the sequel.
Peter Billingsley is the one who narrates A Christmas Story's 2022 sequel. The actor returned to his role as Ralphie nearly 40 years after A Christmas Story where he played the rifle-obsessed child. Since the sequel follows Ralphie Parker as an adult, it worked perfectly for Peter Billingsley to tackle every aspect of the character, including A Christmas Story's 2022 sequel narration. The switch was also a necessity considering Jean Shepherd passed away in 1999, so A Christmas Story Christmas' narrator had to change.
Why Jean Shepherd Narrated A Christmas Story In 1983
There are a few reasons that Jean Shepherd narrated A Christmas Story in 1983. The movie could not use Peter Billingsley as the narrator because it would break the movie's framing device that adult Ralphie is telling this story. While the film could have chosen anyone to take on the narrator role, Jean Shepherd's selection makes sense. A Christmas Story is based on a collection of short stories that Shepherd wrote, so him being the narrator is a fun way to keep the movie's creator involved.
The main reason that Jean Shepherd narrated A Christmas Story in 1983 is that he already had a history of being the voice of these stories. Shepherd was an accomplished writer and radio personality before A Christmas Story's release. This included moments where Jean Shepherd would read the stories that eventually inspired the classic Christmas movie on the radio. As a result, he already was known as the voice of these stories in some regard, with director Bob Clark even wanting to adapt them based on the radio readings. So, it is understandable that Jean Shepherd narrated A Christmas Story afterward.
How Peter Billingsley's Narration Compares To Jean Shepherd's
Peter Billingsley's narration in A Christmas Story Christmas is a good workaround, even though it might not quite reach the heights of Jean Shepherd's from the original. The actors' voices are different, but the good news is that A Christmas Story's Peter Billingsley does not try to do a Jean Shepherd impression to make the change less obvious to audiences. A Christmas Story Christmas does pull off a pretty seamless transition between the two narrator voices in the closing moments, though, that gives audiences a chance to hear Jean Shepherd's narration from the original movie begin.