Update: That didn’t take long. I mentioned below that it wasn’t clear if Tommy Wirkola would return to direct Violent Night 2, but THR now reports that he’s officially signed on to helm the sequel. The production is considering a September start in Winnipeg.
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Santa Claus is coming to town… to kick some ass. Universal has set a release date for Violent Night 2, with the Santa-centric action sequel slated to hit theaters on December 4, 2026.
David Harbour will once again play Santa Claus, but it’s not clear if director Tommy Wirkola will also return. Kelly McCormick and David Leitch are back as producers through their 87North Productions banner.
In true sequel fashion, Violent Night screenwriters Patrick Casey and Josh Miller teased late last year that the next installment will be bigger than the first. “The Violent Night movies are not as big budget as the Sonic movies, but we still want this one to feel bigger than the first one,” Miller said. “And you don’t want Santa just trapped in a mansion again.” Miller also teased that while the first one “lived in a Die Hard space,” the sequel will try to bring in “a little Western influence.“
Casey added, “Santa’s gonna take his shirt off even more in this one. We know what the people want. We know people are hungry for more of his Viking backstory. David is especially excited about that stuff.“
Violent Night follows 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.
As far as what the sequel will bring, it’s too early to say, but there’s been a lot of talk about Mrs. Claus needing to be brought into the action for the sequel, with Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace being mentioned as contenders for the role. “My dream, she’ll never do it, but my dream would be Charlize Theron,” Harbour said. “I feel like she’s such a badass, I remember her in those (Atomic Blonde) fight scenes being so incredible. That would be my dream casting, but whoever plays it, if it happens, is going to be wonderful.“
What do you hope to see in Violent Night 2?
