Blockbuster: 'Violent Night' Ho Ho Hoarding Forecasts Opening at $11.8 Million
'Violent Night' gets the holiday cheer going at #2 on the national chart, but Santa and his reindeer will couldn't take a sleigh ride with current blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Starring David Harbor as the cranky Kris Kringle who takes on a team of mercenaries, the Universal action film debuts halfway through its projections, forecast May 11 $.8. million rides from 3,682 locations. That's a decent result for 87North's production, which boasts a frugal production budget of $20 million. Directed by Tommy Wirkola, "Violent Night" received mediocre reviews from critics, but received a more positive "B+" rating from research firm Cinema Score, indicating strong purchaser approval of the tickets. Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that the film "throws every genre it can into the compactor, but this could turn out to be a successful Christmas buffet". With a foundation to build on, Violent Night could find itself in a strong posit...