Action titles continue to dominate HBO Max's global streaming chart, and Universal Pictures' Violent Night is the latest to make a run at the top. The David Harbour-led Christmas action film has climbed to the #3 spot on HBO Max's worldwide top ten list, more than three years after its theatrical debut, where it grossed roughly $76 million against a $20 million budget.
The streaming resurgence comes as HBO Max's overall chart is led by Milly Alcock's Supergirl, which has become the platform's number one movie worldwide following a box-office disappointment turned streaming hit. Violent Night, directed by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola, has pushed past Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), The 5th Wave (2016), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), and Clown in a Cornfield (2025) on the chart. The only title it hasn't overtaken is Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman's 1998 cult classic Practical Magic, whose enduring popularity comes as its sequel, Practical Magic 2, is now playing in theaters. HBO Max's global top ten also currently includes the documentary Band of Brothers: Legacy and Tom Felton's sci-fi film Altered.
In Violent Night, Harbour plays a disillusioned, cynical version of Santa Claus who becomes the unlikely defender of a wealthy family after mercenaries take them hostage on Christmas Eve, seeking a self-bestowed $300 million payoff. The family's youngest daughter, described as kind-hearted, aids Santa as he uses his magical skills and tools to dispense justice. The cast includes John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Beverly D'Angelo, Cam Gigandet, André Eriksen, Brendan Fletcher, and Leah Brady. Wirkola has since directed Netflix's shark film Thrash.
The renewed streaming attention arrives ahead of Violent Night 2, which Universal Pictures greenlit following the original's commercial and critical success. The sequel is set for theatrical release on December 4, 2026, with Harbour reprising his role as Santa Claus opposite Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus. Wirkola returns to direct alongside John Wick producer David Leitch, with a cast that includes Jared Harris, Joe Pantoliano, Daniela Melchior, Andrew Bachelor, and Maxwell Friedman.
Harbour has additional high-profile releases scheduled for the same period. He appears in Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026, marking his third MCU appearance as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian. He will also star opposite Noah Centineo in Lionsgate's John Rambo, debuting June 4, 2027, and is attached to the psychological horror film A Head Full of Ghosts from Goodnight Mommy directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.
Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
