‘Violent Night’ was a stunning burst of manic enjoyable late final yr, a cocktail of ‘Die Hard’, ‘Home Alone’ and, to a point ‘Santa Claus: The Movie’ which noticed David Harbour’s not-so-jolly previous Saint Nick taking out criminals who took a rich household hostage.
The Universal film was a field workplace hit, incomes greater than $75 million worldwide (with extra coming from its digital residence leisure launch) off the again of a $20 million price range.
Now, based on director Tommy Wirkola (speaking to The Wrap), the items are falling into place for a follow-up. “We’re talking about it and we’re just making deals and getting everything in order.”
In case you had been a Grinch and skipped it, ‘Violent Night’ starred Harbour as a model of Santa who’s feeling a bit jaded about the entire Christmas factor after centuries of delivering presents to more and more ungrateful youngsters.
A Norse warrior lord earlier than he was tapped to don the purple swimsuit and produce pleasure to the world, he’s uninterested in lists asking for money or video video games, and of competing with Amazon. Plus, the real “thank yous” are few and much between.
So when he stumbles right into a hostage scenario on the Lightstone household compound, the place the rich Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) and her grown youngsters, in-laws and grandchildren have gathered to have a good time a sometimes passive-aggressive Christmas, he’s initially extra involved with raiding the liquor cupboard than serving to out, he’s moved by younger Trudy Lightstone (Leah Brady) to take down the villain referred to as Scrooge (John Leguizamo) and his goons.
Written by ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ duo Pat Casey and Josh Miller and produced by David Leitch’s action-orientated 87North firm, the movie is a successful mix of guffaws and kick-ass set items.
According to Wirkola, who was out selling the Blu-ray launch, the group won’t be dashing to make the follow-up, so don’t go searching underneath the cinematic tree this yr. “We have time to really crack the script and figure out the story,” Wirkola says. “And we have some ideas, me and Pat and Josh and the producers, we’ve been talking about where we want to take it and what we want to see.”
Of course, there are not any particulars on what the story is likely to be but, moreover Harbour’s Santa going through one other scenario. But Wirkola and co. know what they’ve left to play with.
“There’s stuff we left on the floor like the North Pole, Mrs. Claus, the elves,” Wirkola provides. “But story-wise I think we have a really, really cool idea that expands on the world and scope, but still keeping that tone that we love from the first one.”
As lengthy because it’s filled with Harbour dealing tough justice to these on the naughty record, it may very well be one other winner.