The first look at Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola‘s (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow franchise) new movie Violent Night was shown off by Focus Features during CinemaCon tonight, with attendees raving that the film looks to be a violent cult classic in the making. David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) stars as a badass, ass-kicking Santa Claus!
Violent Night was compared to Die Hard by Harbour on the CinemaCon stage, the film centered on Harbour’s Santa Claus rescuing a family that’s been taken hostage. The film is being described as a violent action-comedy, with John Leguizamo playing the villain!
Check out some Twitter reactions below while we wait for footage to come online.
In the film, “A team of elite mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (Harbour) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.”
Beverly D’Angelo, Alex Haskell and Alexis Louder are also in the upcoming Focus Features movie, starring alongside Edi Patterson and Cam Gigandet.
Universal will release Violent Night on December 2, 2022.
Pat Casey and Josh Miller (Sonic) wrote the movie.
Kelly McCormick and David Leitch produced for 87North.
“Merry F**king Christmas!” David Harbour’s #ViolentNight is like DIE HARD, but the hero is… Santa? A family is taken hostage & Harbour, as Santa, comes to save the day. From the folks behind JOHN WICK & NOBODY. Super violent. Another wild one for the Midnight crowd #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/HrVbab7blI
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 28, 2022
#DavidHarbour is here to present some insanity called #ViolentNight , a Christmas action comedy coming out on December 2nd.
From the creators of #JohnWick and #Nobody .
Ok. That shit was hilarious with some great bloody action/fight scenes.
I need that screening immediately!😂
— John Rocha aka The Outlaw Nation (@TheRochaSays) April 28, 2022
#ViolentNight, essentially DIE HARD with Santa Claus by way of NOBODY, will probably be my wife’s favorite movie of 2022. #Cinemacon2022
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) April 28, 2022
Okay I definitely want to see this from Focus Features: Violent Night! It’s Die Hard but the hero is a strip mall Santa Claus! John Leguizamo is the villain. #ViolentNight #CinemaCon #Cinemacon2022
— Jeffrey Harris (@Wheeljack83) April 28, 2022
David Harbour en el escenario presentado su película #ViolentNight#CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/yXzXooJTl4
— This Awesome Movie! (@AWESOMovie) April 28, 2022
Um, this Christmas Focus is releasing VIOLENT NIGHT, in which David Harbour plays Santa Claus who helps save a family that’s being held hostage.
He swings a sledgehammer, stabs people with ornaments, etc. Think Nobody+Die Hard+Santa Claus. Looks manic and delightful. #CinemaCon
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 28, 2022
Violent Night with David Harbour looks like an absolute riot. I smell a new cult classic in the making. #ViolentNight #CinemaCon
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) April 28, 2022
“What about a movie that makes you sweat? … And I star in it as fucking Santa Claus??” asks VIOLENT NIGHT star David Harbour. It’s basically DIE HARD with Santa as John McClane. I am beginning to think I’m hallucinating some of these movies. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/4OeS83s5XG
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) April 28, 2022
VIOLENT NIGHT gets a big reaction out of the crowd. It kind of feels like ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, except with Santa Claus in place of Honest Abe, & a group of mercenaries in place of vampires. Harbour seems to understand the assignment. Harmless (and bloody) holiday fun.
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) April 28, 2022