Kristen Bell’s first answer was “What? No.” when David Harbour called asking her to come to Winnipeg for Violent Night 2. She discussed joining the sequel during the film’s panel at New York Comic Con 2026, according to Variety. She hadn’t known a Violent Night sequel was in the works, but his pitch for her to play a Mrs. Claus who could match Santa changed her mind.

“It was thrilling to get this call from David,” Bell said during the panel. Once he explained the role, her response was: “Say more.” They made it work, with Bell joining Harbour in Violent Night 2.

The sequel gives Mrs. Claus a reason to step into the fight. Harbour’s Santa faces a gangster played by Jared Harris who’s threatening the merchants at Silver Bell Mall. With his magic depleted, Santa has to recover his faith in goodness and enlist Mrs. Claus to help protect the community.

Joe Pantoliano, Daniela Melchior, Maxwell Friedman and Andrew Bachelor also star. The follow-up to the 2022 film brings back director Tommy Wirkola and screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller, with David Leitch producing.