Filmmaker TommyWirkola discusses why he directed ViolentNight, explains the Home Alone homage in the attic, and shares his ideas for a possible sequel.
Besides being one of the greatest action films of all time, 1988’s Die Hard became a template for pitching movies with a similar concept. Die Hard on a boat? Under Siege. Die Hard on a plane? Air Force One. Die Hard on a mountain? Cliffhanger. These films worked by taking an easily adaptable concept and making it their own. More times than not, however, the films pitched as “Die Hard on a” fail to capture the essence of Die Hard .
But Universal never did that on this one, and they always pushed us further. I think the movie works because of it. I’m very happy with it. I’m happy that they are happy with it, and obviously, it’s been fun to be online and read the feedback from the audience.Wirkola: Well, I mean Pat [Casey] and Josh [Miller] wrote a great script. They just had a pure, great, fun idea. It was Die Hard with Santa Claus.
We know he’s funny. We know he has a big heart, but he loved that physical element when we talked to him for the first time. 87North loves training its actors. They always do that and really take pride in showcasing the hero, and he was really involved with that. He was the ultimate professional on it. We talked to him about it a lot, [and] he took the role extremely seriously. There was no joy in playing that character. That was what made it funny.
It has to be tough, especially if you’re calling it the best acting and you had to leave it on the cutting room floor. The movie is about Santa and his relationship with the girl [Trudy] and finding himself again. In that moment, we just want to finish the movie and feel that energy. Feel the happiness as he flies to the moon with his reindeer. It felt like one moment too many with the family where we didn’t need it.
Basically, our approach was to shoot and show what really would happen if those traps existed. I think it’s something everybody’s wondered about, especially when you’re a little bit older. You think people would be horrifically mauled by those traps. It’s going back to that point of view and shooting it that way. We always had a good feeling about it.Yeah. That’s what also works in our film. She [Trudy] sees in the film [Home Alone] that they don’t get that hurt.
Every week, there’s always a debate over theatrical versus streaming. What type of movie can play in a theater? Can midbudget films survive? Violent Night is a win for this type of movie. As a filmmaker, it has to feel good to prove that it can turn a profit and be a hit with critics and audiences.
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