The Violent Night 2 Naughty Knit Popcorn Sweater is an ugly Christmas sweater made for your popcorn bucket, and Universal Pictures is giving it away free at Cinemark, Marcus Theatres and select regional and independent theaters for the December 4 release. Universal will also launch a Naughty Knit Popcorn Sweater sweepstakes on Thursday, November 19, and confirmed the details to Fantasy Land News as Violent Night 2 tickets went on sale. Universal also confirmed there is a limited supply. We will update this story and our Movie Theater Popcorn Buckets hub as soon as we know more details on the sweepstakes.
Think of it as a beer koozie for your popcorn. The Naughty Knit is not a popcorn bucket on its own. It is a soft, slightly stretchy sweater that slips over a round popcorn bucket of about 130 oz, with two stuffed arms sticking out of the sides. Put it on a bucket, and you can fill it up like any other, but the sweater is the collectible, and it gives new meaning to the ugly Christmas sweater. Universal Pictures is the first ones to come up with this unique item for the concession stand at the theaters.
The red and green knit-style pattern has snowflakes, reindeer and Christmas trees around a “Violent Night 2” band at the top. Look closer and the Christmas cheer gets a lot less cheerful. The center panel shows Santa with a sledgehammer over his shoulder, pushing a shopping cart past a wall of tools that includes a circular saw, pruning shears and a bow and arrow. The side panels mix snow globes with red gas cans, and the sleeves keep the same pattern all the way down. The shopping cart is a nice touch, since this sequel puts Santa to work at a shopping mall.
Universal debuted the sweater on November 12, and there are two ways to get one. It is a free giveaway at participating theaters, not something you have to buy, and the sweepstakes opens November 19. Universal’s marketing team confirmed these theaters for the giveaway:
- Cinemark
- Marcus Theatres
- Cineplex in Canada
- GTC, the Georgia Theatre Company
- Allen Theatres
- Look Cinemas
- Galaxy Theatres
- More regional and independent theaters
Universal has not shared how the theater giveaway will work, such as whether it comes with a ticket or goes to the first guests at select showings, or whether theaters will hand it out with a bucket. Giveaways like this usually go fast, so check with your local theater before opening weekend. We will share how to enter the sweepstakes as soon as it goes live and keep our Movie Theater Popcorn Buckets hub updated.
In Violent Night 2, David Harbour returns as a Santa who has lost his Christmas magic and ended up working at the Silver Bell Mall. When a ruthless gangster played by Jared Harris starts terrorizing the mall’s shops, Santa has to find his holiday spirit again, with help from Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus. Joe Pantoliano, Daniela Melchior, Andrew Bachelor and Maxwell Friedman also star, and Tommy Wirkola returns to direct. The movie is rated R for strong bloody violence and language. The film’s returning screenwriters are Pat Casey and Josh Miller. Violent Night 2 will be released by Universal Pictures.
Violent Night 2 opens in theaters Friday, December 4. Tickets are on sale now at your local theater and on Fandango.
Watch the Violent Night 2 trailer:
*All images courtesy of Universal Pictures
