David Harbour Throws Punches as a Beer-Chugging Santa Claus in Violent Night Trailer — Watch

Jen Juneau
·2 min read

Santa Claus' naughty list just got a lot longer.

Stranger Things and Black Widow's David Harbour stars as the Christmas icon in Universal Pictures' pun-filled official trailer for their upcoming holiday action-comedy Violent Night.

"When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint," reads an official synopsis.

Released Wednesday, the 2½-minute preview begins with Santa (Harbour, 47) letting out a belch after finishing a beer. When the bartender asks if he's driving, Santa says, "I steer a little, but the reindeer do most of the work."

Soon, the bad guys (led by John Leguizamo's character Ben) are shown interrupting a family's idyllic Christmas Eve. After shooting up their Christmas tree, Ben says of the $300 million in the family's vault, "That's what I want for Christmas."

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Violent Night David Harbour
Violent Night David Harbour

Universal Pictures David Harbour in Violent Night (2022)

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After one of Ben's cronies engages a reluctant Santa in combat, the latter is shown unleashing a series of winter-wonderland-worthy weapons upon various assailants, including a tree star to the eye, a bag of explosive coal and a garland he appears to wield with the intention of strangulation.

"Who is he? 'Cause he's not your typical mall Santa," asks Ben.

"Santa, are you there?" one young resident of the house, Trudy Lightstone, asks through a two-way radio. "Daddy said you were very busy tonight."

"Are you gonna help us, Santa?" she adds.

A battered Santa replies back, "Yeah, Trudy. You're on my nice list."

Violent Night David Harbour
Violent Night David Harbour

Universal Pictures Poster for Violent Night (2022)

RELATED GALLERY: 8 Santas Who Deserve a Serious Raise

Harbour shared the trailer to his Instagram feed on Wednesday, quipping in the caption, "Happy holidays and seasons beatings to you all."

"I'm making a list," he previously wrote in a comment on a post revealing the movie's poster.

"This is gonna be a monster!" Leguizamo, 62, wrote alongside his own share of the poster. "F---ing hilarious and violent! I'm not biased just cause I star in it with genius David harbour!"

The movie is directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow), and also stars Cam Gigandet, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson and Beverly D'Angelo.

Violent Night is only in theaters Dec. 2.

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