Violent Night may be a film about Santa Claus stopping a home invasion and taking out bad guys, but that doesn't mean it's all action. According to star David Harbour, Violent Night's biggest draw is its heart.
Violent Night announced its action movie take on Santa Claus earlier this year when Harbour declared he would don his Yuletide apparel to deal out some season's beatings. The film centers around an embittered Santa Claus, who's depressed that belief in him is waning. Meanwhile, Mr. Scrooge (John Leguizamo) is planning a holiday heist as he takes a wealthy family hostage. To save Trudy Lightstone's (Leah Brady) Christmas, Santa Claus has to take on Scrooge and his henchmen.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Harbour touched on Violent Night. When questioned about whether he intended the film to join the seasonal rotation of Christmas movies like Miracle on 34th Street and Home Alone, Harbour expressed some surprise (and delight at the idea). "It’s crazy to consider that this could do that. My intention is always to just make a great movie. It’s never where it will go, but the fact that people talk that way about [Violent Night] is kind of incredible. They’re like, 'Oh, it’ll be a Christmas movie that people watch,' but I didn’t really think about that when I was making it," Harbour said. "It was much more about this action movie with heart, but you’re right. I watch a Miracle on 34th Street and Bad Santa and all these movies during Christmas, so why wouldn’t it be watched in that way? I just never considered it."
Harbour also expressed that he got to "investigate" who Santa Claus is. " On the surface, sure, I start with the same old, 'He shouldn’t be stabbing people with a candy cane. This is incongruous,'" Harbour explained. "But then when you really start to get down to the marrow and the core of who this individual was, it makes complete sense."
Presumably, Harbour finds Santa Claus to not be above some violence should a child be threatened. That's also presumably where the 'heart' of the film comes from. The Violent Night trailer depicted Trudy Lightstone as a central figure in the film. Her belief in Santa Claus is still strong, as she's a fairly young girl, and her faith in him inspires Santa to take on the bad guys and save her Christmas.
Harbour is well-known for roles with that kind of rapport. He plays Hopper on Stranger Things, who's known for his paternal bond with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). It looks like playing Father Christmas is cementing Harbour as an actor with a paternal side and an actor known for his action. Harbour acknowledged so in the interview by calling his role in Violent Night one of his most physically demanding yet.
Violent Night is now playing in theaters.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter