‘Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse — well, nothing benevolent, anyway.
Versions of Dark Santa have shadowed bedtime stories since the legend’s inception. Whether it’s Krampus or Belsnickel, every hero needs a counterbalance. If Santa rewards the good kids, who punishes the naughty ones?
Back in 1984, the original Silent Night, Deadly Night put its own spin on Santa (namely, by giving him an axe and making him just a tad bit homicidal). The story centers on Billy (Robert Brian Wilson), whose Christmas trauma manifests as a holly-jolly killing spree.
Writer and director Mike P. Nelson is putting a candy cane twist on the original cult classic with his own reimagining of Silent Night, Deadly Night, with Rohan Campbell taking on the role of Billy.
The new movie pays homage to the original with a twisted, revamped love story between Billy and Pamela (Ruby Modine) and a pinch more mysticism. Billy also murders a bunch of Nazis, so it’s hard not to root for this anti-hero.
I had the opportunity to chat with Mike P. Nelson and Ruby Modine at NYCC ahead of the movie’s December, 2025 release. We tackled some of the differences in the new film, working with Rohan Campbell, and Nelson’s previous work with Tyler Hoechlin on The Domestics. We also chatted about their own history with the jolly dude who (allegedly) breaks into houses every year to give kids gifts.
You guys are adapting the movie from the original. What did you want to include in here from that era, and what did you want to do that was different?
Mike P. Nelson: I think what was important to me, first of all, was [we] needed to make a movie that I wanted to make. I think characters that were important to me, I wanted to bring back Billy Chapman, obviously, and I wanted to give the character Pamela just a little bit more than when we got in the 1984 one. And I feel like this was the opportunity to do that. To me, from the get-go, I was like, you know what? This is a love story. I want this to be a love story. But what happens when it’s with two very, very flawed individuals, like with some extreme demons in their head[s]?
Ruby Modine: They’re working through them.
Nelson: Working through ’em, absolutely, [in] very different ways. God bless them, God bless ’em. But then I also wanted to make sure that, again, in my own voice, bring that irreverence that was so big in the original, that there was my own version of that in the movie. And so there are a handful of fun little moments in the movie that I feel like bring that kind of energy to it, and I hope people feel the same way.
Then, toying a little bit at the beginning with a little wink and a nod to what the original movie was, and then where it goes to. To me, that’s the fun of like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re in a Silent Night, Deadly Night [movie]. Oh, okay?’ Okay, here we go.
Modine: And it’s a big ‘Oh.’
Nelson: So this is what we’re watching. And that, to me, again, I’m a huge fan of movies that midway flip a switch. And so again, if people want to keep letting me make movies like that, I am game. I’m ready to go.
What was it like working with [Rohan Campbell]?
Rohan, I didn’t know if he was going to do something like this. He was recommended to me by one of our producers, Steven Schneider, who was close with him and said, ‘Hey, I think you should reach out to Rohan. I think he’d be great for this. He’s got the right energy.’ And Rohan just got it.
Modine: It was Steven?
Nelson: Yeah, Steven Schneider.
Modine: Great man. Dang, good on him.
Nelson: Yep. I know. He’s like, ‘What do you think about Rohan Campbell?’ ‘Cause he gave me a bunch of names. I was like, ‘That’s actually brilliant.’ I was like, ‘Let’s talk to him.’ He read the script [and] he understood what we were going for. He understood the vibe. And again, just as we’ve said a million times a day, and I’m tired of saying it about this guy.
Modine: I know
Nelson: Because he’s, yes, we get it. You’re awesome, Rohan. He’s awesome. But he is-
Modine: Blessing to planet Earth, truly. And the art industry.
Nelson: Yeah, I know, he’s one of those guys-
Modine: My eyes can’t roll far enough in the back of my head because it’s so true. Amazing.
Nelson: I know. But he was great to have on set. He commanded an energy that was awesome in the scenes that we shot.
Modine: And hilarious.
Nelson: He’s a very funny person who not only is fun to work with, but just literally just-
Modine: Catching tears. That was me. I was laughing so hard, one day. You came in crying too.
Nelson: Yep. Crying, belly hurt, laughing. That’s amazing. But that was our set.
Modine: Fingers crossed for a blooper reel because I feel like everyone would enjoy it. Fingers crossed.
Nelson: It was good times.
[Ruby], you’re becoming a bit of a scream queen yourself, so what kind of things-
Nelson: [Double-points at Modine and everyone laughs] Yes, you are. Miss, ‘I love horror.’
No, wait, I’m obsessed with this shirt.
Modine: [She does a mock Home Alone voice] ‘Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.’
That was really good. What did you bring from your experience with movies like Happy Death Day into this production?
Modine: Actually, I have to tell you, I didn’t. This was a very new experience for me, and everything about it was very fresh right off the page. And then to enter into the experience itself and be with Rohan and be with Mike, and then be with the cast and the crew, and it was just very different. And I think it’s a good thing. There was nothing to pull from.
Nelson: To me, she created a new character. I don’t know if it really does pull from anything, really. You just did your thing.
Modine: And it was great because Rohan and I ran lines relentlessly. If we weren’t on set, we were nonstop. So we got to play with each other’s characters and talk about them and go, ‘Do you think you would do that? I don’t think you would do that.’ So we were really creating 24/7.
Photo Credit: Orion Classics
That’s awesome. And Mike, you’ve done a lot of indie horror as well, including the Tyler Hoechlin movie that I’m kind of obsessed with. So what draws you to these kinds of movies?
Nelson: I mean, I think there’s something to be said about being able to sit down in a room, whether that be at the theater or at home, and to experience situations like we do in horror films. I think there’s nothing like it. You can walk out and be completely safe and unmarred, but experience something that hopefully you never really get to in real life. You know what I mean? And there’s something strangely … I know it’s going to sound weird. There’s something strangely exciting about that. You know what I mean? So yeah, going into those weird, dark, crazy, sometimes violent situations can be exciting.
Modine: I got chills, and I got excited. I was like, let’s go play.
Nelson: Yep, yep. That’s what we do.
Would you want to work with Hoechlin again?
Nelson: Dude? Yeah, absolutely. Dude. He is just charming, dude. And I mean, look at what he’s gone on to do, you know what I mean? He’s f****** Superman. He’s Superman. He’s a Superman. Yeah. Tyler, I love you [praying hands].
Same. That’s why I had to ask that. He’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met. So more fun. Do you guys have any horror stories ever, like meeting a Santa or anything weird like that?
Nelson: Weird Santa…
Or a Christmas horror story?
Modine: Christmas. My Lord, Christmas horror story.
Am I getting too dark here?
Nelson: No, no, no, no. That is good.
Modine: No, not at all. That is great. I’m so happy to say that I don’t have a dark Christmas story. I mean, aside from the fact that when I realized that my dad was Santa, I’ll never forget that moment. I read the note, and my dad was sitting there, and he’s like, ‘Santa came.’ And I went, ‘Santa has the same handwriting as you.’ And I saw my dad go like [makes a horror face], that’s a horror story, right?
That was actually my next question. How did you find out Santa wasn’t real?
I had something to add to that. Okay. So again, it’s not a horror story, but it’s more of like a, ‘Wait, so was I wrong the whole time?’ So my grandfather and I found this out later in life. Well, when I found out that unfortunately the man in red is-
Modine: Actually, Satan, not Santa.
Nelson: [Laughs.] So my grandfather came to our house on Christmas Eve, and he was there, he was the person, and he always ate with us. And then suddenly he would disappear. And then suddenly we heard the doorbell, and then we heard the bell, and in came Santa. And I was none the wiser that this was my grandfather.
And I was just like, ‘Oh my God, Santa’s here!’ And then I got a little bit older, we’ll say around the seven, eight, nine-ish. And things start to change, and you’re like, ‘I think I’m understanding what’s going on here.’
Modine: Grandpa leaves every day.
Nelson: But what was weird was grandpa had not left. He was sitting in that damn chair. And I was like [Nelson looks around], then the doorbell rang, and there was a bell, and I was like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ And sure enough, Santa came in, and I was like, ‘What is happening?’
Modine: He prolonged Santa for you.
Nelson: Yeah, and I was like, ‘What is happening right now?’ So then, the guy came in, sat down, but he looked vaguely familiar, and I was like, ‘I think … No, no.’ And of course, later on, I found out it was literally our neighbor.
Modine: [Cracking up]
That’s amazing.
Modine: I was like, it was Billy Chapman. [Everyone laughs.] It was your neighbor.
Nelson: It was our neighbor. And he brought in all the presents, and I was like, ‘Something’s weird here.’ And I will never forget that night because, yeah, it changed things. It was maybe a year or so later that it was kind of like this realization that, ‘Yep, Santa’s not real. We’re going to keep doing this for your brother. Just play along. Okay, cool.’
Modine: That’s cruel.
Nelson: No, no, no. That wasn’t told to me. That was me asking the question, ‘So is this whole thing…?’ And then they were like, ‘You know what? You asked us the question. Yes.’
Modine: Cruel is the wrong one. That’s intense, though. Yeah. You’re a grownup now.
Nelson: Yeah, I am… sort of.
Modine: None of us are.
Nelson: No, I know. I still feel like I’m f****** ten.
Silent Night, Deadly Night releases in select theaters on December 12.
Xandra Harbet 
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