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Norwegian film director Tommy Wirkola, known for his work in the 2022 Action movie Violent Night, is reportedly stepping into his directorial shoes again for the movie’s sequel. The news was exclusively shared by The Hollywood Reporter on June 11, 2025.
The sequel, Violent Night 2, will be released on December 4, 2026. The movie will see the return of familiar faces like David Harbour in the lead role. Other than him, the sequel will be produced by David Leitch and Kelly McCormick. Josh Miller and Pat Casey will serve as the screenwriters.
Tommy Wirkola acted in his 2007 self-directed movie, Kill Buljo. He also worked in Dead Snow, followed by Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Born on December 12, 1979, in Norway, he belongs to the Finnish Sami heritage.
In November 2022, Wirkola sat down with JOE.ie for a brief interview where he was asked about the challenges of shooting Violent Night. He explained that filming the barn scene, where Santa takes on around 25 mercenaries with a hammer, was tough.
It involved intense stunt work, rehearsals, practical effects, and a lot of action. They knew it was the moment when Santa stepped into his heroic role. He also talked about the final fight scene between Santa and Scrooge, which was filmed outdoors in Winnipeg during the freezing winter.
Temperatures dropped to around minus 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. Even though he was from Norway, Tommy Wirkola admitted the cold was brutal. He appreciated shooting in real conditions because they added authenticity to the scene.
Tommy Wirkola implied he was destined to direct Violent Night
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, Tommy Wirkola was asked why Violent Night marked his return to big studio films after a long break since 2013. The director explained that a mix of timing, luck, and past projects played a role.
He had made a Norwegian film called The Trip, which was picked up by Netflix for international streaming. He shared an early version of that film with David Leitch, Kelly McCormick, and Guy Danella at 87North Productions.
Tommy Wirkola said Leitch had worked on Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters before becoming a major director. They enjoyed The Trip and responded by sending him the script for Violent Night. He added:
“And when I read that script, the first thing I said was, “I was born to make this film.” It was just so up my alley, and I knew I could do the tone, the crazy action, the humor and all that stuff.”
He went on:
“But what was really appealing to me was the Christmas movie nature of it. So all these things came together at the right time, and then Universal brought me on board, officially, after they saw The Trip. So that was it.”
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When asked about the possibility of a sequel back then, Tommy Wirkola admitted they had briefly discussed a few ideas. He mentioned that the writers had already started thinking about it and that he had shared some thoughts too.
There were elements like the North Pole, Mrs. Claus, and the elves that didn’t make it into the first Violent Night, along with some scenes that couldn’t be included due to budget limits.
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