Producer Kelly McCormick nearly gave “Violent Night 2” a very different Mrs. Claus. McCormick, who produces the holiday action franchise with David Leitch through their 87North banner, revealed that the character almost made her debut at the end of the original 2022 film, in a post-credits scene that would have locked in a completely different actor for the sequel now casting Kristen Bell in the role.
Speaking to SlashFilm ahead of the film’s trailer launch, McCormick said the creative team spent months weighing whether to introduce Mrs. Claus early. “We almost put a button in the back of Violent Night with Mrs. Claus,” she said. Had that scene made the cut, she added, the character “would’ve been somebody totally different in this one, and it would’ve been a different movie, if she was already introduced.” The indecision stretched on so long that no formal offer went out to any actor for the part, clearing the way for Bell years later.
McCormick credited Bell’s off-screen bond with star David Harbour for helping seal the casting. She called the outcome close to serendipitous, saying the actress fits the role because she brings warmth alongside genuine physical menace. “What she does as a character is this very loving sort of push toward Santa understanding how to get back on the nice list and also kicking major ass,” McCormick said.
Director Tommy Wirkola had signaled last year that plenty of material got left out of the first film, including the North Pole and the elves, material he said gave the sequel room to widen its scope while keeping the original’s tone. That sequel finds Harbour’s Santa stripped of his magic and stuck on the naughty list, forced to defend a shopping mall from a mobster played by Jared Harris, with Bell’s Mrs. Claus arriving as backup. Daniela Melchior, Joe Pantoliano, Andrew Bachelor and wrestler Maxwell Friedman round out the cast.
The first “Violent Night” built a devoted following on the strength of its R-rated mix of Christmas sentiment and brutal set pieces, and currently holds strong marks with both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. “Violent Night 2” opens in theaters December 4.
