Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
#1
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Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo

Only in Theaters December 2
To hell with “all is calm.”
From 87North, the bare-knuckle producers of Nobody, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw comes a coal-dark holiday action-comedy that says you should always bet on red.
When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour, Black Widow, Stranger Things series) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
The film also stars Emmy winner 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 franchise).
Directed by razor-edged Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow franchise), Violent Night is produced by 87North’s Kelly McCormick David Leitch and Guy Danella. The original screenplay is by Pat Casey & Josh Miller, the writers of Sonic the Hedgehog. The film’s executive producer is Marc S. Fischer.
Universal Pictures will distribute the film in all territories
To hell with “all is calm.”
From 87North, the bare-knuckle producers of Nobody, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw comes a coal-dark holiday action-comedy that says you should always bet on red.
When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour, Black Widow, Stranger Things series) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
The film also stars Emmy winner 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 franchise).
Directed by razor-edged Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow franchise), Violent Night is produced by 87North’s Kelly McCormick David Leitch and Guy Danella. The original screenplay is by Pat Casey & Josh Miller, the writers of Sonic the Hedgehog. The film’s executive producer is Marc S. Fischer.
Universal Pictures will distribute the film in all territories
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
That looks like a lot of fun! The premise of Santa accidentally interrupting a home invasion on Christmas Eve is pretty clever. 

#3
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Okay, I already know I have no urge to see this in theaters but when it hits cable/streaming sites this will be fun. Even if you see most of the good parts in the trailer, the idea of Santa going medieval on a bunch of crooks is just wonderful. I also flashed back to those Futurama episodes where you are told that folks are actually very afraid of Santa as he rides around on a sleigh with his reindeer armed with an assault weapon on Christmas night.
#5
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Not at all what the poster makes you think (Santa looks like he might be the bad guy). "I gotta watch"
I may have to go see this one.

#6
Moderator
Thread Starter
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
This played at NYC Comic Con last night. I've seen some Twitter posts... very positive reactions so far.
#8
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Is it too much to ask for a John Wick, Nobody, and Santa Claus shared universe?
#9
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
This synopsis has me sold.
#10
Moderator
Thread Starter
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
This is out this week.
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JeffTheAlpaca (01-30-23)
#13
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Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Reviews starting to come in: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/violent_night
#15
DVD Talk God
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
I wish this was PVOD. I would probably pay to see this at home before Christmas. I don't have much desire to go to the theater.
#16
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#17
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
AV Club gave this a solid B review (but an enthusiastic B), and says the little girl in the film who helps Santa out by setting up some wicked Home Alone type traps for the Mercenaries is quite adorable and a good child actor. Since I have not gone to the theater in quite some time, I might apply some of those dollars that would usually go to a theater ticket to treat myself when it comes out on PVOD. Really glad to hear it is technically a "family movie," albeit one with quite a bit of violence.
#20
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Used my unlimited to catch this yesterday and enjoyed the hell out of it. Not a perfect movie but delivers all one would want from the previews. If this appears on Peacock in three weeks I'm definitely re-watching.
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Watched this today and really enjoyed it. The girl was great, the Home Alone nods were spot on, and the action/kills were fun. It's an 8/10 for me.
It's as if they were trying to half heartedly set up a franchise but too afraid to commit. After this and Fatman, when is someone going to adapt Grant Morrison's Klaus?
Spoiler:
It's as if they were trying to half heartedly set up a franchise but too afraid to commit. After this and Fatman, when is someone going to adapt Grant Morrison's Klaus?
Last edited by RocShemp; 12-05-22 at 06:32 AM.
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John Pannozzi (12-07-22)
#24
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Thread Starter
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
Watched this today and really enjoyed it. The girl was great, the Home Alone nods were spot on, and the action/kills were fun. It's an 8/10 for me.
It's as if they were trying to half heartedly set up a franchise but too afraid to commit. After this and Fatman, when is someone going to adapt Grant Morrison's Klaus?
Spoiler:
It's as if they were trying to half heartedly set up a franchise but too afraid to commit. After this and Fatman, when is someone going to adapt Grant Morrison's Klaus?
If money was no object, would you have shown more of Santa’s backstory?
Yes, we actually shot a lot more of him just talking and telling the story, and it was some of the best acting in the film. David was so good in those scenes, as is Leia Brady as Trudy. But in the end, it was just too long, and we had too much dialogue and heavy exposition in the middle part of the movie. So we decided to trim down the details of the backstory, but if we’re lucky enough in the future to do another movie, maybe we can explore that again. Or we can just let the audience fill in the blanks. But [co-writers] Josh [Miller] and Pat [Casey] wrote a very detailed backstory of how we found the North Pole, the Elves and how Santa discovered giving gifts gave joy. So David shot all of that storytelling.
You just touched on it, but there’s already sequel talk. So have you guys thrown any ideas around yet?
A little bit. It sounds stupid, but I’m a big believer in not jinxing anything. I’m like, “Can we just wait a little bit?” But, of course the writers have talked about it, and I have thrown some ideas out there. We don’t see the North Pole, we don’t see Mrs. Claus and we don’t see the elves. There were also a few ideas that we loved in the script, but we had to cut them because we couldn’t afford to shoot them. It’s such a cliché to say, but we all had a blast doing this film. So I really hope we get to explore it more.
Noomi Rapace as Mrs. Claus? [Writer’s Note: Wirkola and Rapace have collaborated twice already with The Trip and What Happened to Monday. She was also his first choice for Gretel in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.]
(Laughs.) She would make an amazing Mrs. Claus. Crazily enough, I haven’t thought about casting that role yet, but she would be great.
Yes, we actually shot a lot more of him just talking and telling the story, and it was some of the best acting in the film. David was so good in those scenes, as is Leia Brady as Trudy. But in the end, it was just too long, and we had too much dialogue and heavy exposition in the middle part of the movie. So we decided to trim down the details of the backstory, but if we’re lucky enough in the future to do another movie, maybe we can explore that again. Or we can just let the audience fill in the blanks. But [co-writers] Josh [Miller] and Pat [Casey] wrote a very detailed backstory of how we found the North Pole, the Elves and how Santa discovered giving gifts gave joy. So David shot all of that storytelling.
You just touched on it, but there’s already sequel talk. So have you guys thrown any ideas around yet?
A little bit. It sounds stupid, but I’m a big believer in not jinxing anything. I’m like, “Can we just wait a little bit?” But, of course the writers have talked about it, and I have thrown some ideas out there. We don’t see the North Pole, we don’t see Mrs. Claus and we don’t see the elves. There were also a few ideas that we loved in the script, but we had to cut them because we couldn’t afford to shoot them. It’s such a cliché to say, but we all had a blast doing this film. So I really hope we get to explore it more.
Noomi Rapace as Mrs. Claus? [Writer’s Note: Wirkola and Rapace have collaborated twice already with The Trip and What Happened to Monday. She was also his first choice for Gretel in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.]
(Laughs.) She would make an amazing Mrs. Claus. Crazily enough, I haven’t thought about casting that role yet, but she would be great.
I enjoyed it overall. Really throws Die Hard 1, 2, and Home Alone in a blender and adds its own stamp.
#25
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Violent Night (2022, D: Wirkola) S: Harbour, Leguizamo
If a sequel doesn't happen, I'd love an extended cut with all that backstory. Although Noomi Rapace would be a hot Mrs. Claus.
