Tommy Wirkola said the 'big heart' of his Christmas action movie Violent Night gave him the freedom to push boundaries with his blood-soaked action sequences.

The film stars David Harbour as Santa Claus, who accesses his past as a fearless warrior in order to defend a family held hostage on Christmas Eve by mercenaries seeking to steal millions of dollars.

Violent Night is available to watch in UK cinemas from 2 December.