EXCLUSIVE: Christina Hendricks has joined the cast of Bad Santa 2, the Miramax and Broad Green Pictures sequel that returns Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly from the 2003 original. Kathy Bates also is aboard. Hendricks will play a new character who runs a charitable organization.

Miramax and Broad Green are partnering to co-finance and co-produce the pic, being directed by Mark Waters, and a November 23 release date has been set. Principal photography starts this month in Montreal.

Hendricks, a six-time Emmy nominee for her role on Mad Men, hasn’t slowed down since the AMC show ended its run (though she tried to take the summer off). She is starring opposite Michael Shannon in the indie Pottersville which has now begun shooting, and she has a starring role on SundanceTV’s Hap And Leonard, a series based on the Joe Lansdale novel. She is repped by ICM Partners, LINK and attorney Howard Fishman.

Johnny Rosenthal, Doug Ellin and Shauna Cross wrote the Bad Santa 2 screenplay. Geyer Kosinski and Andrew Gunn are producing, and executive producers are Miramax’s Zanne Devine and David Thwaites, Broad Green’s Gabriel and Daniel Hammond, Waters, Jessica Tuchinsky, Ellin and Adam Fields.