Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night 2 set to release on December 4, 2026

Violent Night 2 is happening, and Tommy Wirkola has been confirmed to return to direct the sequel of the Christmas-themed action comedy movie. Even better, 87North and Universal have set the release date for the movie on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Just like the first movie, the sequel will have a theatrical release, and it will be arriving at cinemas on December 4, 2026. It means Violent Night 2 is coming four years after the first one was released in movie theaters in 2022, and two years since star David Harbour confirmed the project.

On December 17, 2024, Harbour subtly confirmed that the sequel of his holiday action flick and shared an update on its development in the same photo. In a post on his Instagram, the actor shared an image of himself wearing a Santa hat next to a real Santa Claus. In the caption, he wrote: "Merry Xmas, ya filthy animals."

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What was interesting about the picture, however, is that Harbour is holding what appears to be a script, with the words "Violent Night 2" written on it. The Stranger Things star's post not only confirmed the sequel but implied that the script is ready.

Everything to know about Violent Night 2 so far

Some of the cast and crew of the first Violent Night movie are returning to work on the upcoming sequel. Besides Tommy Wirkola taking the directorial role again for Violent Night 2, he will be joined by Sonic 3 writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who will return to write the script for the sequel. Kelly McCormick and David Leigh from 87North are also back to produce the film.

There are no specifics about what the sequel's story is going to be about. However, Casey and Miller teased during an interview with ScreenRant in late December 2024 that the first draft of the script was due very soon. In another December 2024 interview with Syfy Wire, the writers gave some hints on what fans can expect in the second movie. Miller said,

"The first one obviously lived in a Die Hard space. We can't tease too much, other than we're trying to bring in a little Western influence."

Casey, meanwhile, chimed in to say that everyone has been excited about continuing the adventure in the sequel. He also teased that they are bringing "more violence and more Christmas spirit into the world" in Violent Night 2.

In the first Violent Night movie, David Harbour starred as the vigilante Santa Claus alongside the Lightstone family. However, it seems unlikely that the Lightstones are going to be targeted again, and most of the cast in the original film died, which means the cast could see an overhaul. That said, David Harbour is returning as Santa in the sequel.

In 2022, shortly after the first movie's release, the writers teased about possible sequels, storylines, and new characters. They told Syfy that comments from people implied that they want to know more about Santa's mysterious and violent backstory, and they feel that there's a lot to unpack if the sequel goes that route.

Miller also said that the script for the first movie included more of Santa's backstory, but some was removed due to pacing issues. Also, the elves and Mrs. Claus were mentioned in the first action-packed Christmas movie, and Miller explained that those characters were part of their pitch when they first sold the movie. Violent Night 2 could be a chance to bring those characters to life.

Stay tuned for more Violent Night 2 news and updates as the year progresses.

About the author

Kinette covers beauty and home decor as a lifestyle writer at Sportskeeda. With over 7.5 years experience in writing for diverse platforms, including The Coolist, Snap Knot, Leisure Seeker, and KS Content Studio, Kinette is quite the shapeshifter in the content world and prides herself as a generalist. However, she feels that her greatest strength is her repository of personal expertise and experience, which she combines with extensive research and credible sources, to deliver compelling reportage on beauty, lifestyle, and wellness.

Kinette graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering before venturing into the world of home improvement and decor writing, although her love for skincare soon pushed her into the beauty space. Despite covering a wide range of topics in her writing career, Kinette now leans towards categories she has personal or educational experience in, to offer only the most reliable and insightful reading experience to her audience.

Kinette’s favorite artist is Taylor Swift, whose lyricism and ability to create a vivid picture with deft wordplay she admiresa lot. When not writing and reporting on beauty and lifestyle trends, Kinette loves playing with her dogs, drinking coffee in the morning and experimenting with cocktails in the evening, reading romance novels, and learning about new cultures and languages.

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Edited by Kinette Sumadia