Some of the most purely enjoyable Christmas movies out there don’t even fall under the umbrella of what a typical Christmas movie is supposed to be. Die Hard, Gremlins, Batman Returns…they all apply. One of the better recent examples would be Violent Night, directed by Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters‘ Tommy Wirkola and produced by John Wick and Atomic Blonde‘s David Leitch. It fits in very well with those two Leitch-directed films, with a well-built world and fluid action sequences that beg for at least one rewatch. But the film’s ace in the hole is casting. If ever there was a great choice for an action hero Santa Claus it was David Harbour. And now, we know when Harbour’s Santa is going to be swinging his axe again.
Violent Night 2 is coming to town on December 4, 2026. It will be a theatrical release, just like the first film.
What Can We Expect From Violent Night 2?
The first Violent Night had Santa put down the booze bottle long enough to save a family from a group of money-hungry mercenaries, led by John Leguizamo’s vengeful Scrooge. Will little Trudy and her family be put in harm’s way once more or will Santa fight for the lives of another group of people? One thing is for sure, Scrooge won’t be involved, considering he was sucked up a chimney and turned into a blood geyser.
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Harbour is, of course, back in the lead role, fresh off his return to the MCU as Alexei Shostakov AKA Red Guardian in Thunderbolts*. Joining Harbour is the original film’s director, Wirkola, and its writers, Pat Casey and Josh Miller.
The great thing about Violent Night is the same thing that was great about John Wick. It works as a single narrative but builds enough of a world that it could easily be expanded. For instance, we still haven’t met Mrs. Claus.
Will a group of Scrooge’s equally vengeful pals come to their workshop in the North Pole to get revenge for the death of their friend? It’s certainly possible, even if it would also be reminiscent of the underrated Mel Gibson and Walton Goggins-led actioner Fatman.
Writers Casey and Miller have said the film would carry a “Western influence” and that the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street would serve as an influence. Is Santa fighting capitalism? Because at the end of the day that’s the core of Miracle on 34th Street.
The original Violent Night was made on a fairly slim $20 million budget. Ultimately it raked in nearly four times that price tag. Will Violent Night 2 prove just as profitable? It’s hard to say, given that the third (or, really, fourth) Jumanji film is scheduled to come out the following weekend, with Avengers: Doomsday then scheduled for its new December 18 release date.
Are you excited for Violent Night 2? Sound off in the comments.
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