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Violent Night

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Violent Night
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTommy Wirkola
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Weston
Edited byJim Page
Music byDominic Lewis
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • October 7, 2022 (2022-10-07) (NYCC)
  • December 2, 2022 (2022-12-02) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[3]
Box office$76.6 million[4][5]

Violent Night is a 2022 American Christmas action comedy film directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It follows Santa Claus (portrayed by David Harbour) as he fights mercenaries who have taken a wealthy family hostage in their home.[6] The film also stars 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 is in development.

Plot

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In Greenwich, Connecticut, Jason Lightstone and his estranged wife Linda take their daughter Trudy to his mother, Gertrude's, mansion for a Christmas gathering. They overhear Trudy's Christmas wish for family unity through an old walkie-talkie. Other family members at the gathering are Jason's sister Alva, her boyfriend Morgan Steel, and her son Bert. Meanwhile, a drunk Santa Claus arrives at the estate, just as a group of mercenaries with holiday codenames, led by "Mr. Scrooge", raid the house and take the family hostage.

Startled by one of the mercenaries, Tinsel, shooting his weapon, Santa's reindeer are frightened off the roof. Tinsel is pulled out of a window and impaled on an icicle. Stranded, Santa resolves to rescue Trudy and her family from Scrooge, who wants $300 million cash hidden in a vault in the mansion. After killing the mercenary Frosty, Santa takes his radio and finds Trudy's channel. He then finds that the mercenaries are on his "naughty list". When Scrooge discovers that Trudy has been talking with Santa on her walkie-talkie, Jason denies Santa's existence, and a distraught Trudy runs past the kidnappers and successfully hides in the attic. Santa reassures her over the radio, revealing to her his ancient Viking warrior past as "Nicomund the Red".

Wounded, Santa is captured by Scrooge, who hates Christmas. Recognizing their real identities, Santa convinces henchmen Gingerbread and Candy Cane of his authenticity and escapes magically, although his magic sack is burned. Gertrude's "kill squad", led by Commander Thorp, arrives and kills Morgan—revealing their allegiance to Scrooge. Discovering an empty vault, Scrooge threatens Linda. Jason admits he stole the money, hidden in an outdoor nativity, and planned to flee with his family. Gertrude forgives him, revealing this as a Lightstone family rite of passage and naming him her heir.

In a shed, Santa finds a sledgehammer and eliminates the kill squad. Trudy sets up Home Alone-inspired traps, leading to Gingerbread's death. Santa kills Candy Cane before she can shoot Trudy. Alva, Linda, and Bert thwart Scrooge's order to kill hostages by killing Krampus. Scrooge and Thorp escape into the woods with Gertrude and the money, pursued by Santa, who kills Peppermint. Linda kills Jingle, and Trudy witnesses her parents' reunion. Santa and Scrooge fight in a cabin; as they grapple, a badly wounded Santa magically flies up the chimney, mangling Scrooge's body and killing him. Thorp shoots Santa but is killed by a vindictive Gertrude.

Despite using some burnt money for warmth, Santa succombs to the gunshot wounds. Trudy rallies her family to affirm their belief in Santa, healing him from death. Confused by the magic, but renewed in faith, Santa receives his returning reindeer, a note from Mrs. Claus, a new gift sack, and the return of his long-lost hammer, Skullcrusher. He bids Trudy farewell and continues his gift deliveries.

In a mid-credits scene, Bert vlogs next to a dead mercenary, telling his viewers that Santa is real and warning them to behave during Christmas.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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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.[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]

Filming

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The shooting of the film took place from January–March 2022 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[13][14]

Release

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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]

Home media

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Violent Night was released on VOD on December 20, 2022. The film was added to Peacock on January 20, 2023. That same day, it became available for digital purchase, while the Blu-ray and DVD release followed on January 24.[16]

Reception

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Box office

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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 sophomore weekend to $8.7 million, remaining in second.[19]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 208 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

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In November 2022, Harbour mentioned that there were discussions of Mrs. Claus appearing in a potential sequel during production of the first film. The actor 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]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Violent Night (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b "Violent Night (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Violent Night (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  6. ^ "Story | Violent Night". Universal Pictures. 29 October 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Bria, Bill (2022-12-02). "Violent Night Producer Kelly McCormick On Shooting In The Cold (And With Real Reindeer) [Exclusive Interview]". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ McClintock, Pamela (December 2, 2022). "Box Office: 'Violent Night' Unwraps $1.1M in Thursday Evening Previews". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Violent Night". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  21. ^ "Violent Night Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  22. ^ Fuge, Jonathan (November 30, 2022). "Violent Night Reviews Heap Praise on David Harbour's Action-Fueled Santa Claus". MovieWeb.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ "Violent Night 2 Is Already in the Works, Get Ready". 2023-01-23. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  30. ^ Freitag, Lee (2024-03-13). "David Harbour's Violent Night 2 Gets a Promising Update". CBR. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  31. ^ Fuge, Jonathan (2024-12-05). "It's Christmas Come Early for Action Fans Thanks to David Harbour & 'Violent Night 2'". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
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