David Harbour, theStranger Thingsstar who portrayed a very different kind of Santa Claus inViolent Night, is teasing the return of the character in an upcoming sequel. Harbour, who’s enjoying the success of his latest animated TV showCreature Commandos, has commented on the possibility of a sequel and things are looking very, very good.
Harbour spoke to ComicBookaboutCreature Commandos, the first series in the DCU where he provides voice work for Eric Frankenstein. The show is an adult-animated series that premiered on Max a few days ago, and Harbour co-stars with Sean Gunn, Alan Tudyk and Indira Varma. James Gunn serves as showrunner and a writer for all the episodes. The conversation, however, segued into one of Harbour’s best films to date. ComicBook asked about a sequel toViolent Night, and Harbour was quick to respond:
“I don’t think you’re alone in that desire. Well, keep your eyes peeled because I also love that movie, and I think that Universal was excited about that idea as well. So we’re working a little bit.
I do think there’s some very talented people working on it, so yeah, I’m excited about it.”
The actor is keeping himself pretty busy these days. While we wait for more news aboutViolent Night 2to arrive, he sure has a lot to deal with.Stranger Thingswill premiere sometime in 2025, and Harbour will again play Eleven’s father figure Jim Hopper in the series finale of Netflix’s most important fantasy horror show. Nevertheless, Harbour is also playing for the other team in the game of superhero franchises.His MCU filmThunderbolts*is set to premiere next year and Harbour will return to his role as Red Guardian, the perfect “Russian Captain America.”
‘Violent Night’ is a Great Example of the “Action Meets Christmas” Subgenre
Harbour plays Kris Kringle, aka Santa Claus, inViolent Night. In the film, Santa Claus isn’t exactly the jolly dude with an excess of Christmas spirit. He’s actually an alcoholic man, driving his sleigh under the influence and getting tired of doing the same thing over and over. Santa stops by a mansion to deliver some presents, but something is already happening when he arrives: a family has been taken hostage. Among the victims, there’s a child with a very specific Christmas wish, and she draws Santa’s attention. So begins a less traditional story of Santa attempting to give a family a merry Christmas.
The film is an excessively violent action film that uses its supernatural elements for comedic purposes. This hilarious action comedy grossed over $76 million at the box office.Violent Nightalso had a decent critical reception as well (74% score on Rotten Tomatoes), with many citing Harbour’s depiction of Santa as the best thing about it.
David Harbour Says Stranger Things Stars Were ‘Uncontrollably Crying’ Reading the Final Episode
The end is finally near for Stranger Things.
In the universe of Christmas films that blend well with other genres,Violent Nightstands close to the best ones. The ultraviolence and the riff on Santa’s jolly attitude, are two of the several aspects about the movie that make it a rewatchable feature every year if you’re among the ones who like to watch different movies during the holidays. It’s not aChristmas horror movie, but it does a fine job at offering some thrills during the most wonderful time of the year.
Violent Night
