Apparently we do need a sequel to 2023’s Christmas-horror mash-up Violent Night.  Although the best bad Santa on the screen remains the Krampus episode of Grimm, Violent Night is next in line if you ignore a clunky plot and dialogue and only focus on David Harbour’s earnest performance.  If the movie had a problem it was leaning too much into the horror and not enough into the absurd fun of it all.  But Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ Tommy Wirkola learned something from the first movie and it’s apparent in the first trailer for the Christmas 2026 sequel, Violent Night 2.  Wirkola is back directing the sequel, which looks like it’s taking full advantage of Harbour’s gruff but friendly image, humor, and some Christmas spirit.  In essence, it looks like it leans more into why the idea of the first movie worked on paper.

Yes, the blood and violence is back, but see if you agree this looks like an improvement on the first, especially with the introduction of Kristen Bell as a sword-wielding Mrs. Claus and Jared Harris as the new big bad.  Here’s the first trailer for Violent Night 2: 

There’s something satisfying about Santa dishing out some justice, conjuring the warrior from the medieval past of this construct of the character.  In the first movie Harbour went full Thor mode with his own giant hammer called Skullcrusher, and the hammer is back, this time wielded by Kristen Bell.  Will she be sharpening the blades of her ice skates, too?

“Christmas ends tonight” is the theme of the franchise, and in my review of the first movie I’d suggested a better title would have echoed its horror cousin Halloween Ends with a title like Last Christmas.  Maybe they found rights issues with that title, but it’s great to see they used the song for the trailer.

The first movie arrived on Peacock quickly, but first look for Violent Night 2 in theaters this round, coming your way for Christmas with a premiere date of December 3, 2026.

C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg