Credit: Violent Night
Are you ready for Santa Claus?
Jolly Old St. Nick is surely getting the presents ready for Christmas time, but apparently, Santa has been practicing some of his fighting skills in-between eating cookies and checking on who’s naughty or nice. It at least seems that way in the upcoming Universal film, Violent Night, with the film synopsis being about, “an elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage inside. However, they aren’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.”
Harbour plays the infamous character himself, which certainly suits the actor thanks to his role in Stranger Things and Hellboy. Harbour seems to be having a blast with his usual dry wit and cool action sequences that makes Violent Night stand out as something unique for the holiday season. Another veteran onboard with the film is John Leguizamo, who has been in great films like John Wick, Critical Thinking, and Carlito’s Way. Of course, nobody can’t forget him as Mr. Mathetician in M. Night Shyamalan’s incredible feature, The Happening. Alexis Louder, Alex Hassell, Edi Patterson, and Cam Gigandet also star in the movie. The upcoming feature is directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters).
Wirkola discussed the film with IGN and addressed the comparisons to Die Hard, noting that the Bruce Willis classic is certainly an influence while highlighting what makes Violent Night original and fresh in its own right, “Obviously, Die Hard was a big influence,” Wirkola said. “And for me, [John] McTiernan, just as a director, is one of my favorite directors, and we try to pay tribute [to] and honor that movie as much as we can. And then try to make our own thing and based on that. Our own crazy story.”
The director further explains the movie and the relationship between Santa and a little girl, who’s caught in the crossfire of a group of mercenaries trying to ruin Christmas, “There’s a relationship in the movie between Santa and a little girl that really is the beating heart of the movie,” he explained. “And so when I went into it, I basically said ‘we can do all this crazy action, we’re gonna have fun. we’re gonna have humor and darkness and all that stuff,’ but I really want the audience when they leave the theater to feel like they’ve seen the Christmas movie. So yeah, it has a really interesting combination of things.”
Credit: Violent Night
However, it isn’t just Die Hard that Violent Night is paying homage to. Wirkola is a fan of ’80s and 90’s action movies and that element is key in the upcoming film, with Mr. Claus notably being in a bad place early in the movie, which is different from Santa’s usually cheery demeanor, but it gives the character more depth and gravitas, “[Santa] is a little lost,” Wirkola shared. “He kind of has a little bit of faith but he feels like people don’t believe in him anymore. And that Christmas is all about consumers and toys. And when he goes on this journey, and comes across his family and taken over by terrorists, and he meets this little girl, it kind of helps him find that belief again, because she is such a believer in Christmas.”
Christmas movies are as old as time. From Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, or even Bad Santa, it’s tradition for a feature to showcase good old Saint Nick in some type of way, though having Santa Claus being a straight ass-kicker is definitely something fresh in the Christmas catalog. Violent Night is expected to drop on December 2, 2022.
