Tommy Wirkola spricht im Interview über seinen Weihnachtsactionfilm “Violent Night”. Copyright: Alen Grujic
Tommy Wirkola presents us with “Violent Night” a very different Christmas film. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 16. We present an interview with the director.
Tommy Wirkola about his Christmas film „Violent Night“
How did this project fall into your hands? And what appealed to you about the opportunity to direct Violent Night?
Tommy Wirkola: It came to me through the producers Kelly McCormick, David Leitch and Guy Danella, who sent me the script and basically told me that it was Die Hard with Santa Claus. So, I read it and thought that, not only did it have humor and action, but also a big amount of heart. That’s what I love about it: the combination of those things and the fact that it still was a Christmas movie. Then David Harbour came on board as Santa, and that kind of set us off on the way.
You had already worked with producer David Leitch before. What do you believe makes 87North such a unique production company?
Tommy Wirkola: I just think that they genuinely love and have a burning desire to make great action movies. They take action very seriously, and they want every film they make to feel special and unique, which is something that shines through all their projects.
You have definitely brought a completely new spin to Christmas movies with Violent Night.
Tommy Wirkola: That was the goal – to make something fresh and fun that still feels like a Christmas movie. I want the audience to walk out of theatre filled with that spirit. And it was a lot of fun to pull from other Christmas movies like Die Hard, Home Alone or Christmas Vacation. Our film allowed us to pay tribute to them and even include some Easter eggs, while at the same time creating our own thing that hopefully stands out and that people will watch every year during the holidays – after putting the small kids to bed, of course. After all, it is a grown-up Christmas movie.
What can you say about the main character? We have never seen a Santa like this before…
Tommy Wirkola: When we meet Santa, he is kind of down and he has lost faith in humanity, in himself, and in Christmas. He feels it has become all about consumerism, gifts and toys, but not about the spirit anymore. So, he is really considering packing it up. This might be the last one for him. Then he goes on to deliver his presents and comes across a house where this family has been taken hostage by Scrooge and his gang of mercenaries. In that family there is this little girl named Trudy that he decides to help, and through her and their journey together he sort of rediscovers himself and what Christmas means. And in the process, he also rediscovers his old self (who he was before becoming Santa Claus), which ties into why he can take on these terrorists and have a chance to come out on top. So, he goes on quite a journey; but, as with so many Christmas movies, it is truly about being good and kind and spreading that holiday spirit.
It’s hard to imagine anyone else than David Harbour – who was your first pick – in that role.
Tommy Wirkola: Yes, David was our first and only pick for that role. Early in the process, when someone brought up his name, we all looked at each other and thought: “Yes, of course!” It was one of those rare cases where nobody disagreed, as he was just perfect for the role. So, we sent him the script, and thank God he liked it. He had the same ideas we had about the character and the tone of the film. I feel he really created a unique and different Santa Claus.
And the role is a tour de force for him, as you put him through a lot. What can you say of his extraordinary performance?
Tommy Wirkola: First of all, he is just a great actor that knew the nuances he had to hit with Santa and what his journey was. The character also needed to have a large physical presence, be really funny, and have a big heart – all of which he brought to the role. Also, the beating heart of the movie is his relationship with Trudy, and David knew how important that was. He just had the perfect combination of all these things, and we were in sync.
At the heart of this story, we have the relationship between the 7-year-old Trudy – who wishes for her parents to be together again for Christmas – and Santa. And young talent Leah Brady truly shines in that role.
Tommy Wirkola: She is amazing! This is her first film, and by chance she is Canadian and didn’t live far from where we were shooting; so, everything fell into place with her. She understood the humor of the film and the tone we were trying to hit, to the point where she even did some ad-libbing, throwing out lines that actually stayed in the movie. Leah really got into it and nailed that role. This is an action movie, but weaving in and out of it is that relationship between Trudy and Santa, which is kind of what holds it all together. And I knew that if we got that relationship right, we could go as crazy as we wanted with the rest.
The film wouldn’t work without a strong villain, and John Leguizamo is also perfect as Scrooge, the leader of the team of mercenaries that breaks into this family’s compound on Christmas Eve.
Tommy Wirkola: He is! John is just so good and funny, and he brought so much to Scrooge. And he also enjoyed ad-libbing and throwing funny lines in there. He really made that character come alive, and even came up with a back-story that he loved an embraced. And I love those moments when he faces off with Santa. John was a blast to work with.
What can you say about the rest of the extraordinary supporting cast you have here?
Tommy Wirkola: That they all killed it and understood the heart of the film. They had freedom to be funny and crazy, but in the end, it was about staying true to the beating heart of Christmas. And it was special for me to have someone like Beverly D’Angelo play the matriarch of the family, because she was in Christmas Vacation, a movie that was so important for me as a kid. There is an introduction scene with her, when she is going back and forth in the hallway swearing, where she improvised a lot. I was very impressed with her diversity in swearing.
Violent Night has cutting-edge action. How was it to shoot?
Tommy Wirkola: Some directors complain that shooting action takes a long time; but personally, I love it. It’s one of my favorite things to do. And we had a great second unit director in Jonathan Eusebio, who nailed it. Violent Night is a big action movie, and we had to deliver on that front. It was fun to sit down and map out all the different action beats, as we reveal who Santa really is through those beats. And we tried to bring Christmas into the fights too, using things like the decorations or Santa’s bag of gifts, which was another way of making the action unique.
The movie is true to the typical Christmas weather conditions, as you shot it in Winnipeg, Canada, right after the holidays. You already knew what it was like to shoot in the snow, but how was this experience?
Tommy Wirkola: It was very cold! Actually, one day we had to end the shoot earlier because the camera equipment froze. But I also believe that being out there in the cold with snow gave the movie something extra and real that you can feel.
It is also very funny. How was it for you to achieve that balance between action, violence, humor, and heart?
Tommy Wirkola: That was the key because it’s all about balance and about how far you can push things. You have to make sure that you stay within the world you are creating and the tone you are setting up; but I felt early on that if we could keep the Christmas beating heart of the movie throughout, then we could get away with anything else. I am a big believer of tone, because with the right tone, you can do anything.
And it constantly surprises the audience.
Tommy Wirkola: Kudos to Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who wrote a script that had lots of twists and turns. Violent Night is a fun film to see with a big audience, as people are shocked, surprised and laughing together.
So, how do you look back now at the experience of directing Violent Night?
Tommy Wirkola: It was a fast and intense shoot, but also a lot of fun. And I think that the fun we had making it really shows on screen.