A divisive Christmashorror moviefrom the 1980s is getting a second remake. The biggest horror remake boom occured in the 2000s, when a bevy of iconic horror titles were rebooted includingDawn of the Dead,Friday the 13th,Halloween,The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,The Last House on the Left,The House on Sorority Rowand more. However, remakes have been produced throughout horror history, including the prominent 1980s examplesThe ThingandThe Blob, and the tradition has continued into the modern era with titles including 2020’sThe Invisible Man, 2022’sFirestarter, and 2024’sSalem’s Lot.
Christmas horror moviesare another longstanding tradition of the genre, asmany filmmakers have found unique ways to blend the wholesome iconography of the season with bloody murder and mayhem, creating an unsettling juxtaposition. One of the most famous is Bob Clark’s 1974 proto-slasherBlack Christmas, which itself has been remade twice, once in 2006 and again in 2019. Other prominent Christmas horror titles include 2015’sKrampus, 1997’sJack Frost, 2016’sBetter Watch Out, 2017’sAnna and the Apocalypse, and 2024’sTerrifier 3.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Is Getting A New Remake
The Terrifier 3 Team Is Behind The Project
Anew reboot ofSilent Night, Deadly Nightis on the way. The 1984 slasher movie follows orphaned teen Billy Chapman (Robert Brian Wilson), whose traumatic past is dredged up when he is forced to dress as Santa for a toy store’s Christmas celebration, leading him to go on a holiday killing spree. Although its poster image depicting an axe-wielding Santa climbing down a chimney spurred controversy, causing many concerned protestors to picket theaters playing the movie, it spawned the sprawlingSilent Night, Deadly Nightfranchise, which includes four sequels and a 2012 reboot titledSilent Night.
1984
1987
1989
1990
1991
Silent Night
2012
PerDeadline, a new reimagining ofSilent Night, Deadly Nightis in the works at Cineverse, the company behind theTerrifiermovies. The entertainment company has picked up the global rights with the intention of bringing the project to the American Film Market with an eye on a late 2025 release. The movie isset to be written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, who previously helmed the 2021 horror remakeWrong Turn.
Terrifier 3’s Brandon Hill and Brad Miska are executive producing the project alongside Yolanda Macias and Erick Opeka.OriginalSilent Night, Deadly Nightproducers Scott Schneid and Dennis Whitehead are also on boardalong with Jamie R. Thompson. Read statements from Hill (who is also the executive director of Cineverse) and Nelson below:
Brandon Hill: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.Mike P. Nelson: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. 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!
Our Take On The Silent Night, Deadly Night Remake
It Would Fit Perfectly With The Franchise
Ultimately, a secondSilent Night, Deadly Nightremake would be a welcome addition to the long-running franchise. While remaking a horror movie twice is a relatively unusual practice, the later entries in the franchise were already effectively remakes. While the first threekiller Santa moviesfollowed the same pair of brothers, the two later sequels told new, unrelated Christmas-themed horror stories. Thus,there is already a precedent for many different takes on the same core themewithin the franchise.
