"We Know What the People Want": 'Violent Night 2' Writers Tease the Sequel's Expanded "Mythology" [Exclusive]

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David Harbour as Santa Claus with a bloody face in Violent Night (2022).

Violent Night was a surprise hit on Christmas 2022, and we now know that David Harbour's action-hero Santa Claus will be making a return visit to theaters. Screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller, whose Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is racing up the box office charts this week, are back for the sequel, too. In a new interview with Collider's Aidan Kelley, they dropped a few tidbits about the direction the sequel will take, including "trying to elevate things" and "expand the mythology".

Miller reveals that the film will feature an expanded scope from the first film, which was largely confined to a single location:

"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. And you don't want Santa just trapped in a mansion again."

Casey, meanwhile, has good tidings for the film's fanbase, who have demanded "more David Harbour" in more ways than one, sharing, "Santa’s gonna take his shirt off even more in this one. We know what the people want." He also promised more of Santa's backstory will be explored in the sequel, as the first film revealed he was a Viking warrior, Nicomund the Red, before his gift-giving days. "We know people are hungry for more of his Viking backstory. David is especially excited about that stuff."

In addition to writers Casey and Miller and star Harbour, director Tommy Wirkola is also set to return. His survival thriller Beneath the Storm is set to hit theaters next year.

What Is 'Violent Night' About?

Violent Night takes place at the mansion of the wealthy Lightstone family (including Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Leah Brady, Alex Elliott, and Christmas movie veteran Beverly D'Angelo), who find themselves besieged by holiday-hating Mr. Scrooge (John Leguizamo) and a squad of elite guns for hire. Scrooge and his band of merry mercenaries intend to rob the family on a snowy Christmas Eve. Their only hope of making it to Boxing Day alive is Santa Claus (Harbour), who also finds himself at the Lightstone estate. The bad news is that he's having a decidedly unmerry Christmas, and his last stop was at a bar. The good news is that the mercenaries are all on his "naughty" list, and he's ready to call back on his past as a Viking raider to hand out some season's beatings.

Casey and Miller also wrote the previous two films in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They also collaborated on Golan the Insatiable, and are attached to an adaptation of the video game It Takes Two.

Violent Night 2 is in development, but no release date has yet been announced. This first film is currently available to stream on Starz. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.