It looks like we've found this year's Terrifier 3, as upcoming Christmas horror movie Silent Night Deadly Night debuts first bloody trailer

Silent Night, Deadly Night trailer still — (Image credit: Cineverse)

Move over, Terrifier 3, there's a new Christmas horror movie in town this year: Silent Night, Deadly Night and by its first trailer, it looks like Santa is out for blood this holiday season.

The clip opens with an axe-wielding Santa Claus sneaking up on an unsuspecting victim before he plunges the blade into his head, letting us viewers know exactly what we're in for. The rest of the trailer gives us a little insight into who our killer is, a "drifter" plagued by violent thoughts, who takes it upon himself to punish those who belong on the naughty list. However, from his connection with a store clerk, we feel that there may be a romantic storyline in there as well. Watch the full trailer below.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 🎅🏼🪓🩸 | Official Trailer | In Theaters December 12 - YouTube

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If the title sounds a little familiar, that's because the upcoming Silent Night, Deadly Night movie is the second remake of the 1984 original, following the 2012 remake Silent Night. However, the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise is much bigger than that, as the first film spanned multiple sequels, from Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 to Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker. Now that's a lot of killer Santas.

The original movie follows a young boy who witnesses his parents' murder on Christmas Eve by a man dressed as Santa Claus, sending him into a psychological breakdown. So much so that when he grows up, he emerges as the very thing that scarred him all those years ago, a killer in a Santa suit. Upon release, the controversial movie was met with mixed reviews and was pulled out of cinemas after just one week. However, the series has earned a large cult following since.

Despite the 2012 version veering away from the original plotline, it sounds as though the 2025 movie will pay homage to the '80s classic. The movie's official synopsis from Bloody Disgusting reads: "After witnessing his parents’ brutal murder on Christmas Eve, Billy transforms into a Killer Santa, delivering a yearly spree of calculated, chilling violence. This year, his blood-soaked mission collides with love, as a young woman challenges him to confront his darkness."

Silent Night, Deadly Night is written and directed by Wrong Turn's Mike P. Nelson, and stars Halloween Ends' Rohan Campbell and Happy Death Day's Ruby Modine.

Silent Night Deadly Night hits US theaters on December 12. For more, check out our interviews with Silent Night, Deadly Night director Mike P. Nelson on making the reboot, and the Silent Night, Deadly Night cast on the movie's love story.

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.

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