After a modest opening at the box office and a relatively positive critical response to Violent nightit was confirmed that a sequel, Violent Night 2 is on the way. Directed by Tommy Wirkola, David Harbor's low-budget project finds a band of mercenaries battling Santa Claus (Harbour) when they take a wealthy family hostage. With its tongue-in-cheek action and abundant references to Christmas movies past, Violent night provided a whole new experience that still brings a lot of holiday fun.
From a narrative perspective, the relatively independent story of Violent night gives the sequel plenty of creative wiggle room. Given that David Harbor's Santa Claus was resurrected and survived the bloody denouement, the holiday antihero will be back in action, though he may be the only one to return. The first film killed off many of its main characters, which requires a fresh start in the sequel. Thanks to the plot points set in motion in Violent nightthere are several ways to Violent Night 2 could work.
Violent Night 2 Latest News
Production start time revealed
It's unclear exactly where the film is in the development phase.
Although it appears the planned production start time of early 2025 will pass, and the latest news has David Harbor discussing Violent Night 2. The Santa Claus actor is currently busy with a number of other projects, but took time to talk about the upcoming holiday sequel. Although he couldn't offer much in the way of details, Harbor mentioned that there are “some very talented people working on this.” As it stands now, it's unclear exactly where the film is in the development phase.
Read Harbor's full comments below:
Well, stay tuned because I love this movie too and I think Universal was excited about this idea too. So we are working a little. I think there are some very talented people working on this, so yes, I'm excited about [it].
Violent Night 2 is confirmed
The project was announced in 2023
this would allow the script to be perfectly fine-tuned, something a low-budget film really needs to be successful.
Although the film was a moderate box office success and performed modestly with critics, there was no guarantee that Violent night someday there would be a sequel. While there were some speculative teases in the interim, it wasn't until January 2023 that Violent Night 2 has been confirmed as in development (through The wrap). Since then, few updates have emerged, but the project is still ongoing. In March 2024, it was revealed that filming was planned for early 2025, but it appears those plans fell through.
David Harbor is an in-demand actor in Hollywood and previous commitments can deviate Violent Night 2 for some time. However, this would allow the script to be perfectly fine-tuned, something a low-budget film really needs to be successful. As it stands now, no release schedule is known and it likely won't arrive for some time. Even though the film begins filming in 2025, it's uncertain whether it will arrive in time for the holidays that year.
David Harbor's projects since Violent night include:
|
Project |
Year of release |
Rotten Tomatoes score |
|---|---|---|
|
We have a ghost |
2023 |
43% |
|
Grand Tourism |
2023 |
65% |
|
Creature Commands |
2024 |
94% |
|
Zoopocalypse Night |
2025 |
N/A |
Violent Night 2 cast details
David Harbor's Santa Claus Will Return
As it is now, the only cast member associated with the sequel is David Harbor as the bloodied vigilante Santa Claus Noel in which viewers met Violent night. Most of the main characters from the first film died, and that means a return is unlikely. Additionally, Santa's anti-hero status means he likely won't team up with any of the film's survivors. Violent night. Instead of, the sequence could feature other figures from Santa Claus lore, such as Mrs. Claus, elves and others. However, until more information is available, the cast is pure speculation.
Violent Night 2 Story Details
The sequel could explore Santa's lore more
Although it is unlikely that Violent Night 2 will repeat the independent film of the first film Die Hardstyle plot, there are a lot of possible options for the sequel to explore. Given that the first film established that Santa Claus is real without showing many of the other tropes associated with his lore (like elves or the North Pole), Violent Night 2 could very well delve deeper into the character's backstory. Maybe trouble comes to Santa this time, and he must defend his workshop from some evil force.
An additional consideration is that now that David Harbor's Santa Claus is firmly established as a successful vigilante after the Violent night ending, a sequel could see him dishing out a now-familiar brand of festive justice. The world could change after the revelation that Santa Claus is real, and it could have a profound effect on your life. Whatever happens in Violent Night 2 it will need to be bigger and more explosive to surpass its predecessor.