It might only be October, but Universal Pictures is preparing for some Yuletide slaying. The studio released a trailer for their new film, Violent Night, a dark comedy/action film about David Harbour's Santa Claus taking down a group of violent intruders.

Violent Night stars Harbour as the real Santa Claus, who seems jaded after centuries of delivering presents. But when a criminal (John Leguizamo) targets a wealthy home for Christmas, Santa jumps into action. "Time for some season's beatings," Harbour's Santa says in the trailer as he must protect the family of young Trudy Lightstone, who's on the "nice" list. It seems the mercenaries fighting Santa are on the "naughty" list, and they face Santa's wrath for it. Also starring in the film are Cam Gigandet, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, and Beverly D'Angelo.

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The Violent Night trailer was released by Universal Pictures and it establishes Harbour's Santa Claus as a grizzled veteran of the Christmas season. The beer-swilling Santa seems weary and tired but still dedicated to the Christmas season. With plenty of gags and puns centered on the Christmas theme, the trailer shows Santa becoming embroiled in a home invasion. Leguizamo's villain is particularly incredulous and insists that Santa is not real, even as he takes out all his men.

Violent Night previously released a picture showing off Harbour's tough Santa Claus, with the tagline being (of course), "You better watch out." The film will exclusively hit theaters in December, just in time for the Christmas season. It's a take on the "Santa being naughty" subgenre of Christmas films, where a more adult-themed Santa Claus usually lets loose for mature audiences.

Violent Night's premise is novel, and Harbour always plays the grizzled role well. Some of the best Christmas movies are unconventional in their depiction of the season. But the film's trailer does not show off much of what it can bring that's new to the table. Of course, not every film has to be revolutionary. It could be a surprising smash hit, but it will likely be a more lowkey affair.

Seasonal offerings tend not to do as well in theaters; their legs are longest when they are replayed again and again during the holiday season. It's a Wonderful Life was a total flop in theaters when it first hit the scene and only became popular after multiple re-airings at Christmas time (due to lapsed copyright, it was cheap to air). The impact of Violent Night will likely similarly take years to measure.

Violent Night hits theaters on December 2, 2022.

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Source: Universal Pictures/YouTube