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Violent Night
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| Violent Night | |
|---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tommy Wirkola |
| Written by | |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Matthew Weston |
| Edited by | Jim Page |
| Music by | Dominic Lewis |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 112 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million[3] |
| Box office | $76.6 million[4][5] |
Violent Night is a 2022 American Christmas action black comedy film[6] starring David Harbour as Santa Claus, depicted as an immortal Viking warrior who has since become the familiar Christmas figure, as he fights mercenaries who have taken a wealthy family hostage in their home in order to target the money that is in the vault. The film was directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, and also starring John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, and Beverly D'Angelo.
Violent Night had its world premiere at the New York Comic Con on October 7, 2022. Universal Pictures released the film in theaters in the United States on December 2, 2022. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $76.6 million worldwide. A sequel, Violent Night 2, is in production and is set to be released in December 4, 2026.
Plot
[edit]A bitter and jaded Santa Claus has become so fed up with centuries of enabling mankind's materialism and greed that he intends to retire after finishing this year's Christmas deliveries. In Greenwich, Connecticut, Jason Lightstone and his estranged wife Linda take their 10-year-old daughter Gertrude ("Trudy") to his mother Gertrude's mansion for a Christmas gathering. Other family members there are Jason's sister Alva, her boyfriend Morgan Steel, and her 18-year-old son Bertrude ("Bert"). Jason and Linda overhear Trudy's Christmas wish for family unity via an old walkie-talkie Jason gave her, claiming it lets her talk to Santa. Meanwhile, Santa arrives at the estate. However, a group of mercenaries with holiday-themed codenames, led by "Mr. Scrooge", raid the house, kill the security detail as well as staff members, and take the family hostage.
The mercenary "Tinsel" finds the hiding Santa; Santa kills him, but his reindeer are frightened off the roof by gunfire during the fight. Stranded, Santa resolves to rescue Trudy and her family from Scrooge, who is after $300 million in cash hidden in a vault in the mansion. After killing "Frosty", Santa takes his radio and finds Trudy's channel, also discovering that Scrooge and his henchmen are on his naughty list. Trudy manages to run past the kidnappers and hides in the attic. Santa reassures her over the radio, revealing to her his ancient Viking past as "Nicomund the Red".
Santa is captured by "Gingerbread", "Candy Cane", and Scrooge, the latter revealing his hatred for Christmas as a result of childhood trauma. Santa manages to escape up the chimney, although his magic sack of gifts is burned. Morgan also escapes and runs into Gertrude's private extraction squad, led by Commander Thorp, who execute him, revealing their allegiance to Scrooge. Discovering the vault to be empty, Scrooge threatens to kill Linda. Jason admits he stole the money, hid it in an outdoor nativity scene, and planned to escape Gertrude's influence with Linda and Trudy.
Retreating to a shed, Santa finds a sledgehammer and kills numerous extraction squad members. Trudy sets up booby traps in the attic, leading to Gingerbread's death. Santa saves Trudy and kills Candy Cane. Alva, Linda, and Bert overpower and kill "Krampus", while Scrooge and Thorp head into the woods with Gertrude and the money, with Santa in pursuit. Linda kills "Sugarplum" and "Jingle", and Trudy witnesses her parents reconcile.
Santa chases Scrooge down and crashes into an abandoned cabin. Scrooge finds the naughty list, and realizing it is indeed the real Santa, he decides to finally end Christmas by killing him. As they fight, Santa grabs Scrooge and magically flies up a chimney with him, tearing him apart. Thorp shoots Santa but is killed by Gertrude. Santa succumbs to his gunshot wounds. Trudy rallies her family to affirm their belief in Santa, reviving him. His faith in Christmas renewed, Santa receives his returning reindeer, a note from Mrs. Claus, a new gift sack, and the return of his long-lost Viking war hammer, Skullcrusher. He bids the Lightstones farewell and continues his gift deliveries.
Cast
[edit]- David Harbour as Santa Claus, a former Norse Viking turned Christmas icon known to deliver toys to nice children
- John Leguizamo as Scrooge, the mastermind of a heist crew with a disdain towards Christmas[a]
- Alex Hassell as Jason Lightstone, son of Gertrude who wishes to distance himself from his mother
- Alexis Louder as Linda Lightstone, Jason's wife
- Edi Patterson as Alva Lightstone, Jason's alcoholic sister who caters to her mother
- Cam Gigandet as Morgan Steel, Alva's boyfriend who is a famous actor
- Leah Brady as Trudy Lightstone, Jason and Linda's daughter
- Beverly D'Angelo as Gertrude Lightstone, Jason and Alva's wealthy mother with ties to the United States Government
- Ray Strachen as Al, the security guard at the gate
- André Eriksen as Gingerbread, an enforcer who is part of the heist crew[b]
- Brendan Fletcher as Krampus, a psychotic killer in the heist crew[c]
- Mike Dopud as Commander Thorp, the corrupt leader of the Extraction Team in cahoots with Scrooge
- Alexander Elliot as Bert, Alva's vlogger son
- Mitra Suri as Candy Cane, a vicious member of the heist crew disguised as a mixologist[d]
- Can Aydin as Frosty, a member of the heist crew
- Phong Giang as Tinsel, a member of the heist crew
- Finn McCager Higgins as Jingle, a member of the heist crew
- Rawleigh Clements-Willis as Peppermint, a member of the heist crew
- Stephanie Sy as Sugarplum, the tech expert of the heist crew[e]
Production
[edit]In March 2020, Universal Pictures announced that it acquired the original screenplay to Violent Night by Pat Casey and Josh Miller and that 87North Productions would produce it.[7] In November 2021, David Harbour was cast in the lead role, with Tommy Wirkola set to direct.[8] Wirkola was hired to direct after he sent an early cut of his prior film The Trip to producers at 87North, and after enjoying it, they sent him the Violent Night script.[9] In early 2022, John Leguizamo, Beverly D'Angelo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, and André Eriksen were confirmed to star.[10][11][12] Principal photography took place from January to March 2022 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[13][14]
Release
[edit]Violent Night had its world premiere at the New York Comic Con on October 7, 2022. Universal Pictures released the film in the United States and Canada on December 2, 2022.[15] The film was released on VOD on December 20, 2022 and added to Peacock on January 20, 2023. That same day, it became available for digital purchase, while Blu-ray and DVD releases followed on January 24.[16]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]Violent Night grossed $50.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $26.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $76.6 million.[4][5]
In the United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross around $10 million from 3,682 theaters in its opening weekend.[3] it made $4.9 million on its first day, including $1.1 million from Thursday night previews, and went on to debut to $13.5 million, finishing second behind holdover Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[17][18] The film fell 37% in its second weekend to $8.7 million, remaining in second.[19]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 74% based on 215 reviews with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads "Violent Night isn't as wildly entertaining as its concept might suggest, but for those seeking harder-edged holiday fare, it may be a ho-ho-whole lot of fun."[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21] Opening weekend audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 76%.[18]
MovieWeb wrote, "The first reviews … heap praise on David Harbour's savage Santa Claus."[22] Syfy wrote that "critics hail what might be a new holiday classic that more than earns its R-rating by turning every conceivable Christmas item into a deadly weapon" and that Harbour "steals the show".[23] Total Film wrote that reviews were mixed, "Some critics are calling Tommy Wirkola's movie a fun riff on the festive genre, while others are critical of its plot and length."[24] Box Office Mojo said, "Critics mostly like it."[25]
Sequel
[edit]In November 2022, Harbour mentioned discussions of Mrs. Claus appearing in a potential sequel during production of the first film, and expressed interest in seeing Charlize Theron in the role.[26] In December of the same year, Wirkola confirmed that there have been ongoing discussions between him and the writers, with potential for Mrs. Claus, the North Pole, and the elves factoring into the story. The filmmaker stated that the realization of a follow-up movie depended on the success of the first film.[27] Later that month, producer Kelly McCormick confirmed that all creatives involved intended to make a sequel with work on the project commencing in "the next few weeks".[28] In January 2023, it was confirmed that a sequel is already in development.[29]
In March 2024, Harbour said in an interview that production could start in early 2025 if "the time would be found in everyone's schedule".[30] In December 2024, Harbour claimed that writing was already underway.[31] Later in the same month, it was confirmed that Pat Casey and Josh Miller, the writers of the first film had written a script and were polishing it. Miller expressed that the sequel would have "western influence" and that Miracle on 34th Street would act as a big influence for the film.[32] In June 2025, it was reported that Universal had set a release date for Violent Night 2 for December 4, 2026.[33] In August of that year, it was reported Kristen Bell and Daniela Melchior had been cast in the sequel with Tommy Wirkola set to return as director.[34] One month later, Jared Harris and Joe Pantoliano joined the cast.[35]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Despite being identified as Jimmy Martinez on the Naughty List, he is credited as "Scrooge".
- ^ Despite being identified as Bjorn Johansson on the Naughty List, he is credited as "Gingerbread".
- ^ Despite being identified as Nathaniel "Nate" Stukas on the Naughty List, he is credited as "Krampus".
- ^ Despite being identified as Kira David on the Naughty List, she is credited as "Candy Cane".
- ^ Despite being identified as Jessica Prestwood on the Naughty List, she is credited as "Sugarplum".
References
[edit]- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (November 29, 2022). "'Violent Night' Review: David Harbour Stars in Your Basic, Everyday Heist Meets Bloody Action Santa Meets 'Home Alone' Christmas Thriller". Variety. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Violent Night (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (November 30, 2022). "Box Office: David Harbour's 'Violent Night' Aims for $10 Million Debut, but No Match for 'Wakanda Forever'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "Violent Night (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ a b "Violent Night (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Kruske, Kyle (December 13, 2023). "How Violent Night Establishes Itself as a Modern Holiday Classic". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr (March 3, 2020). "Universal Lands Violent Night Pitch By Sonic The Hedgehog Scribes Pat Casey & Josh Miller". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Welk, Brian (November 16, 2021). "David Harbour to Star in Holiday Action Film Violent Night". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Davids, Brian (December 6, 2022). "Violent Night Director Tommy Wirkola Explains How 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' Paved the Way for His Second Studio Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 14, 2022). "John Leguizamo, Beverly D'Angelo Join David Harbour in Violent Night (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (March 10, 2022). "Violent Night: Edi Patterson & Cam Gigandet Join David Harbour In Universal Pictures' Holiday Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (April 25, 2022). "Meghan Leathers Joins Paramount+ Crime Thriller Finestkind; Universal's Holiday Thriller Violent Night Adds André Eriksen". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ King, Randall (November 20, 2021). "A Christmas thriller? Stranger things have happened". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Bria, Bill (December 2, 2022). "Violent Night Producer Kelly McCormick On Shooting In The Cold (And With Real Reindeer) [Exclusive Interview]". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ McCall, Kevin (September 14, 2022). "David Harbour's Holiday Flick Violent Night to Screen at NYCC". Collider. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (January 13, 2023). "'Violent Night' Headed to Digital Jan. 20, Disc Jan. 24". Media Play News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (December 2, 2022). "Box Office: 'Violent Night' Unwraps $1.1M in Thursday Evening Previews". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 4, 2022). "'Wakanda Forever' Overperforms During Sleepy December Weekend; 'Violent Night' Too With $13M+ – Sunday Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 11, 2022). "Weekend Box Office At $38M, Near 2022 Low Before 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Soaks Up All The Air – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Violent Night". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ "Violent Night Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ Fuge, Jonathan (November 30, 2022). "Violent Night Reviews Heap Praise on David Harbour's Action-Fueled Santa Claus". MovieWeb.
- ^ Weiss, Josh (November 30, 2022). "Violent Night\u0027: Critics say David Harbour is 'a Santa for the ages' in merrily bloody Christmas romp". Syfy. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ Watson, Fay (December 1, 2022). "Violent Night's reviews call it an R-rated version of Die Hard meets Home Alone". Total Film. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Mendelsohn, Sam (December 4, 2022). "'Violent Night's' Solid $13 Million Start Can't Top 'Wakanda Forever's' $18 Million In Another Slow Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Reyes, Mike (November 30, 2022). "Violent Night's David Harbour Has The Perfect Mrs. Claus Dream Cast For A Potential Sequel". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Davids, Brian (December 6, 2022). "'Violent Night' Director Tommy Wirkola Explains How 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' Paved the Way for His Second Studio Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (December 2, 2022). "'Violent Night 2': Producer Hopes to Start Working on Sequel in a Few Weeks". Colider. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (January 23, 2023). "Violent Night 2 Is Already in the Works, Get Ready". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Freitag, Lee (March 13, 2024). "David Harbour's Violent Night 2 Gets a Promising Update". CBR. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Fuge, Jonathan (December 5, 2024). "It's Christmas Come Early for Action Fans Thanks to David Harbour & 'Violent Night 2'". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 11, 2025). "'Violent Night 2' Puts A Ho-Ho-Hold On Post Thanksgiving 2026 Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (August 28, 2025). "Daniela Melchior And Kristen Bell Join 'Violent Night 2' From Universal And 87North". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 4, 2025). "Jared Harris And Joe Pantoliano Join 'Violent Night 2' From Universal And 87North". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
External links
[edit]Violent Night
View on GrokipediaNarrative
Plot
On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus arrives at the opulent Lightstone family estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, to deliver gifts despite his growing disillusionment with humanity's greed and lack of belief in the holiday spirit.[9] The dysfunctional Lightstone family, including wealthy matriarch Gertrude, her son Jason, his estranged wife Linda, and their young daughter Trudy, is gathered amid tensions over inheritance and personal failings.[10] Unbeknownst to them, a team of elite mercenaries led by the ruthless "Mr. Scrooge" invades the home, taking the family hostage and demanding a $300 million ransom from the estate's hidden vault.[9] As the mercenaries, codenamed after holiday figures like Tinsel, Frosty, Gingerbread, and Krampus, terrorize the hostages—torturing Jason by crushing his finger in a nutcracker and separating Trudy from her family—Santa becomes stranded when his reindeer flee from the intruders' fireworks.[9] Drawing on his ancient Viking warrior heritage, Santa intervenes, using his magical sack of toys as an improvised weapon to bludgeon and disarm the attackers.[11] He dispatches several mercenaries in brutal, creative fashion, such as garroting one with a string of Christmas baubles, impaling another on an icicle, electrocuting a third with a electrified tree-topper star, and crushing a fourth's skull with a falling nail gun rigged as a trap.[9][11] Meanwhile, Trudy, the only family member who still believes in Santa, communicates with him via a discarded walkie-talkie, pleading for him to save her loved ones and reigniting his sense of purpose through her faith.[11] Jason frees himself and aids in the resistance by stabbing one mercenary with a fire poker, while Linda and Gertrude fight back against their captors, highlighting the family's emerging unity in crisis.[9] Santa's sack is burned by the mercenaries, but his reindeer return with a replacement containing his legendary Viking war hammer, Skullcrusher, allowing him to continue the assault while checking his Naughty List to target only the deserving.[11] The climax unfolds in the living room, where Santa confronts and battles Mr. Scrooge and his remaining lieutenant, Commander Thorp, amid a chaotic shootout and hand-to-hand combat; Santa ultimately crushes Scrooge in the chimney using holiday magic, while Gertrude shoots Thorp to protect her family.[9][11] Fatally wounded by gunfire, Santa is revived by the Lightstone family's collective renewed belief in him, led by Trudy's unwavering conviction, restoring his holiday spirit and symbolizing themes of redemption and familial reconciliation.[11] As the police arrive, Santa departs on his sleigh, leaving the reunited Lightstones to celebrate a true Christmas miracle.[9] In a mid-credits scene, Gertrude's greedy nephew Bertrude, a social media vlogger, encounters evidence of the real Santa while livestreaming from the estate, further spreading belief in his existence.[11]Cast
The cast of Violent Night is led by David Harbour as Santa Claus, portraying a disillusioned figure who embodies an anti-heroic savior in the film's action-comedy narrative.[12] John Leguizamo plays the villainous antagonist Mr. Scrooge, the mercenary leader driven by a personal grudge.[10] The ensemble includes family members caught in the conflict, such as Beverly D'Angelo as the wealthy matriarch Gertrude Lightstone, Alex Hassell as her son Jason Lightstone, Alexis Louder as Jason's estranged wife Linda, Edi Patterson as Gertrude's daughter Alva, Cam Gigandet as Alva's husband Morgan Steel, and Leah Brady as the young Trudy Lightstone.[13] The mercenaries are depicted with Christmas-themed code names, including André Eriksen as Gingerbread, Scrooge's second-in-command; Brendan Fletcher as Krampus, the enforcer; Mitra Suri as Candy Cane, the tech-savvy operative; Finn McCager as Jingle, the muscle; Can Aydin as Frosty; and Stephanie Sy as Sugarplum.[14] Additional supporting roles feature Mike Dopud as Commander Thorp, a key ally in negotiations.[13] David Harbour's performance as Santa was pivotal to the film's success, leading to his reprise of the role in the sequel Violent Night 2.[15]| Actor | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| David Harbour | Santa Claus | Disillusioned warrior Santa serving as the anti-heroic savior.[12] |
| John Leguizamo | Mr. Scrooge | Mercenary leader and primary antagonist with a personal grudge.[10] |
| Beverly D'Angelo | Gertrude Lightstone | Wealthy family matriarch.[12] |
| Alex Hassell | Jason Lightstone | Gertrude's son and family protector.[10] |
| Alexis Louder | Linda | Jason's estranged wife and mother.[12] |
| Edi Patterson | Alva | Gertrude's daughter and family member.[13] |
| Cam Gigandet | Morgan Steel | Alva's action-star husband.[10] |
| Leah Brady | Trudy Lightstone | The young family daughter.[12] |
| André Eriksen | Gingerbread | Scrooge's second-in-command mercenary.[14] |
| Brendan Fletcher | Krampus | Enforcer mercenary.[13] |
| Mitra Suri | Candy Cane | Tech-savvy mercenary.[14] |
| Finn McCager | Jingle | Muscle-bound mercenary.[16] |
| Can Aydin | Frosty | Mercenary team member.[14] |
| Stephanie Sy | Sugarplum | Mercenary team member.[14] |

