Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Violent NightAfter a modest box office opening and relatively positive critical response, many viewers are curious about the prospect of Violent Night 2 – a potential follow-up to 2022’s original Violent Night. With the pulpy, low-budget David Harbour project killing off many of its main characters, any potential sequel would necessarily have to differ from the first movie. However, thanks to the plot points set in motion in Violent Night, there are several ways that Violent Night 2 could work.
From a narrative perspective, the relatively self-contained story of Violent Night gives any sequel plenty of creative wiggle room. Given that David Harbour’s Santa Claus was resurrected and survived the blood-soaked dénouement, there’s every possibility that he could return, which – coupled with some enthusiastic noises from the first film’s producers – suggests that a sequel is a very real possibility. Here’s everything that’s known about Violent Night 2 so far.
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Will Violent Night 2 Happen? What’s Been Said
In exciting news for fans of the first film, Violent Night producer Kelly McCormick has already stated that plans are in place for a follow-up. In an interview with Collider, McCormick declared in early December 2022 that work could begin on Violent Night 2 “if everything goes well the next few weeks.” As she went on to explain, following Violent Night‘s successful Christmas 2022 release, “We’re hoping to start working on a ‘Violent Night 2,’ if everything goes well the next few weeks. We have a tendency to just keep our heads down and focus on what’s in front of us, or near. So yeah, that’s kind of it. We’re in it.” This suggests that Violent Night 2 is a very real possibility and could well happen in the near future.
Violent Night’s Box Office Makes Violent Night 2 More Likely
One big positive for a potential sequel is Violent Night‘s box office takings. On a budget of $20 million, the movie made around $13.3 million at the domestic US box office over its opening weekend. Combined with international earnings of over $7 million, the movie has already made its budget back after just one weekend in circulation. Although it’s difficult to gauge how much staying power it may have, with the Christmas season just beginning there’s every chance that David Harbour’s Violent Night will continue to perform well for some time. If this does prove to be the case, the chances of a sequel will only increase.
Violent Night 2 Story: What Could David Harbour’s Santa Do Next?
Although it’s unlikely that Violent Night 2 would repeat the first film’s self-contained Die Hard-style plot, there are plenty of possible options for the sequel to explore. Given that the first film established that Santa is real, without showing many of the other tropes associated with his lore (such as elves or the North Pole), Violent Night 2 could well delve into the character’s backstory. A further consideration is that, now David Harbour’s Santa is firmly established as a successful vigilante after the Violent Night ending, a sequel could see him dispensing a now-familiar brand of festive justice, just in slightly different, perhaps more high-stakes circumstances. Either way, there are many potential directions for the sequel to go.
Violent Night 2 Release Date Prediction
Judging by McCormick’s positive comments, production on Violent Night 2 could start imminently. As a low-budget, almost-single location action comedy, completing any potential follow-up should be relatively straightforward. For the original film, for instance, filming took place over a short timeframe between January and March 2022, ahead of a December release. However, it’s important to note that the original Violent Night already had a script and cast in place in January 2022 – none of which applies to a prospective Violent Night 2. Given this, it’s likely that any Violent Night 2 project wouldn’t release in 2023.