One of the most iconic horror movies of all time made major waves in 1984, with Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street giving birth to Freddy Krueger and still striking fear into the hearts of audiences. Also in 1984, Silent Night, Deadly Night depicted an unhinged killer who dressed up in a Santa Claus suit, with Terrifier distributors Cineverse securing the rights for an all-new reimagining of the concept. Back in 2012, the horror movie Silent Night served as a loose reimagining of the concept. The new movie will be written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, who previously delivered the 2021 Wrong Turn reboot.
“The opportunity to work with producers involved with the original Silent Night, Deadly Night and to partner with the Terrifier 3 team is an honor,” Nelson shared in a statement, per Deadline. “I’ll never forget walking into the video store at the mini mall when I was 5 and seeing that poster for the original film. I was in awe and started imagining what horrifying things would happen. To be a part of the film’s legacy many years later is insane! I’m looking forward to getting production underway, and unleashing my new take on this compelling story. Billy is back!”
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Cineverse Executive Director, Acquisitions, Brandon Hill, added, “I have always been a huge fan of Silent Night, Deadly Night and can’t wait to bring Mike’s vision to fellow fans of iconic slashers. As we have seen this year, there continues to be incredible demand for independent horror films with bite, and we believe this can deliver strong audiences from theatrical to home entertainment and streaming.”
[RELATED – Silent Night, Deadly Night Reboot in the Works]
The original movie focused on a young boy who witnessed his parents brutally attacked by a man in a Santa suit, and when he grew up, witnessed another violent incident while he himself was dressed as Santa, igniting his violence and punishing those he deemed “naughty.” The film inspired four sequels, though the first sequel featured more than 30 minutes of recycled footage from the first entry and ultimately had a run time that only barely earned it a “feature film” distinction.
While A Nightmare on Elm Street is undeniably more seminal for the horror genre than Silent Night, Deadly Night, the two films were actually in theaters at the same time in November of 1984, with early returns showing that Silent Night, Deadly Night was performing better than Craven’s movie. However, with the advertising campaign leaning into the juxtaposition of Santa Claus going on a brutal rampage, it earned a public backlash that saw the movie pulled from theaters.
The new Silent Night, Deadly Night is expected to land in theaters in 2025.
Are you looking forward to the new Silent Night, Deadly Night? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!