Quick note: after writing that headline, in the next trailer, they should definitely use the song “Naughty Naughty” by Danger Danger. Anyways…get in the festive mood early as Universal releases the fun-filled trailer for Violent Night 2. In this entry, Santa learns that there are consequences for his actions from the first movie, as all that fighting puts him on the naughty list. David Harbour returns as the Jolly Man in Red. Tommy Wirkola also returns to direct from a script by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. 87North’s Kelly McCormick and David Leitch also return to produce the sequel.
Universal’s press release runs down the plot of the movie, which reads,
“In 2022’s bare-knuckle holiday sensation, Violent Night, an embittered Santa, armed with lethal combat skills, took out a team of mercenaries to rescue a girl and her family. Now, not-so-jolly Saint Nick suits up again to take on a ruthless gangster (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Jared Harris) terrorizing the merchants of the Silver Bell Mall.
But when Santa forgets the true meaning of Christmas, he finds himself in the heart of a lively mall community in desperate need of his help. Sapped of his magic, he’ll need another way to take on the goons threatening the mall, and time is running out. Santa has to rediscover his faith in goodness and call in some last-minute reinforcements from the one person no baddie wants to tangle with: Mrs. Claus (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Kristen Bell).
Along with David Harbour, Jared Harris and Kristen Bell, the dynamic cast includes Emmy winning screen legend Joe Pantoliano (The Last of Us, The Sopranos), Daniela Melchior (Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Andrew Bachelor (Greenland, The Walking Dead), and AEW professional wrestler Maxwell Friedman (The Iron Claw, Happy Gilmore 2).”
In true sequel fashion, Casey and Miller teased last year that the next installment would 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.“
Violent Night 2 will be released on December 4.