Things are looking less than strange for David Harbour, as he has just been cast in a new thriller for Universal called Violent Night. Harbour will star in the film directed by Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters). The script is being written by Sonic the Hedgehog scribes Pat Casey and Josh Miller.
The film is being produced by 87North, which is headed by David Leitch, Chad Stahelski and Kelly McCormick. The company might be a recognizable name to close-eye viewers as they are the production company behind the John Wick franchise, Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron, and the reboot of the series Kung Fu, which currently airs on the CW.
The announcement of Harbour's casting didn't provide much information, but said that Violent Night is said to be a dark holiday thriller. Based on the resume of 87North and what Harbour showed off while donning the Red Guardian outfit in Black Widow, it might be safe to assume that this film will be heavy on the thrills and brutal action sequences.
Wirkola is no stranger to playing within darker material, as Dead Snow dealt with zombie Nazis climbing out from their graves to run amok on a group of students in the remote mountains of Norway. The film was brutal in its kills and didn't shy away from gore. Despite the more horrific elements, the film also played with a bit of comedy of the situation, which may lend itself to Harbour acting style, as he has been known to showcase comedic chops in his work.
This seems to be another awesome feather in the caps of Casey and Miller, who are not only writing this original screenplay, but have Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set to be released sometime next year. The follow-up to the videogame adaptation will see the likes of Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, and Jim Carrey back, but will also introduce Idris Elba as the fan-favourite Knuckles. Collider recently reported that Elba, who is famously known for being a sex symbol, will not be bringing his trademark sex appeal to the role.
Violent Night is set to be released in the post-Thanksgiving time frame, which is always a good time to release holiday-themed movies, with a release date of December 2nd, 2022.