“Merry Xmas, Ya Filthy Animals” - David Harbour Shares Exciting 'Violent Night 2' Production Update

4 days ago 3

For fans who've been waiting forever for any update on the sequel to David Harbour's 2022 Christmas hit, Violent Night, you have a present from Saint Nick himself. Violent Night decked the 2022 Christmas holidays with some bloody Santa action, and quickly became an instant fan favorite. A sequel was announced shortly after, but details have since been scarce. The last we heard about the movie was that filming was expected to begin in early 2025 and with this latest update coming courtesy of Harbour himself, there's reason to believe that things are on track to commence filming within the planned window.

Harbour recently took to Instagram to share a teasing update on the Violent Night sequel, sharing a photo of himself wearing a Santa cap and seated right next to Santa Claus in a room fully decked with Christmas colors. In Harbour's hand is a script which he holds up well enough to see what's written - "Violent Night 2." It's a subtle tease that the script for the movie is in place and ready for filming to commence. In the caption he writes; “Merry Xmas, ya filthy animals,” (a clear nod to Home Alone) and yes, it is indeed a gift to every fan who's since been anticipating the next chapter for the Tommy Wirkola-directed action-comedy.

In the 2022 film, Harbour plays different kind of Santa, as an action hero who swoops in to save the day after a violent group of mercenaries holds a wealthy family hostage in their house. Stuffed with brutal action sequences, Violent Night was an instant hit with critics and audiences, earning a 74% Rotten Tomatoes rating and almost tripling its production budget of $20 million. The original was written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who are also behind the script for the sequel.

What Will 'Violent Night 2' Be About?

Apart from Harbour's return as Santa and some behind-the-scenes personnel returning to reprise their off-camera duties, not much is known about the direction the sequel will take. However, the closing events of the original tease that the next installment will in some way cover the protagonist's backstory. Wirkola, who will return to the director's chair, recently teased what the sequel will be about in a recent interview with Bloody Disgusting saying;

"We're all hoping we get lots of sequels. We're hoping we can baby step into crazier and crazier things. Based on reactions to the first movie on Twitter and stuff, we see a lot of people wanting to know more about Santa's backstory. So it does feel like there's an appetite for more of that tale to be told."

A release date for Violent Night 2 has not yet been set, but as production looks to commence soon, more information is to be expected in the coming weeks and months. As always, stay tuned to Collider for more, and check out the original currently streaming on Starz.