Santa Claus will return to spread Christmas cheer… and break a few skulls along the way. Violent Night was a modest box-office success, grossing over $75 million worldwide on a $20 million budget, and director Tommy Wirkola confirmed to The Wrap that Violent Night 2 is in the works.
“We’re talking about it,” Tommy Wirkola said, “and we’re just making deals and getting everything in order.” The director also confirmed that original screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller will return to pen Violent Night 2, but that the team isn’t rushing to start shooting anytime soon. “We have time to really crack the script and figure out the story,” Wirkola said. “And we have some ideas, me and Pat and Josh and the producers, we’ve been talking about where we want to take it and what we want to see.” The director added that a few of the ideas that were cut out of the first movie, including the North Pole, Mrs. Claus, and the elves, are in play for the sequel, which he hopes will expand on the world and scope while keeping the same tone.
As for who could play Mrs. Claus in Violent Night 2, THR’s Brian Davids asked Tommy Wirkola about Noomi Rapace stepping into the role. “She would make an amazing Mrs. Claus,” Wirkola said. “Crazily enough, I haven’t thought about casting that role yet, but she would be great.” The actress, who is best known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, previously worked with Wirkola on What Happened to Monday? and The Trip.
Violent Night followed a team of mercenaries who break into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve and take everyone inside hostage, but the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint. In addition to David Harbour, Violent Night also starred John Leguizamo (John Wick), Cam Gigandet (Without Remorse), Alex Hassell (Cowboy Bebop), Alexis Louder (The Tomorrow War), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones) and Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation).
Our own David Arroyo loved every minute of Violent Night, even saying that it could — but not quite — give Die Hard a run for its money when it comes to the “definitive Christmas action film.” Boasting an “over-the-top collection of bloody action scenes, insane performances, and some of the corniest jokes in a movie” that he’s heard in years, Arroyo singled out praise for David Harbour, who is “brilliant” as the apathetic St. Nick. “David Harbour knows exactly what kind of film he’s in, so he commits to the madness of the premise,” Arroyo said. You can check out the rest of Arroyo’s review right here.
What do you hope to see with Violent Night 2?