Kevin Smith didn’t think 12 Days of Killmas were enough, apparently. He’s hard at work on Anti-Claus, a new horror movie focusing on the Krampus, a Christmas demon from Alpine folklore that eats naughty children during the holidays.
“When I was a kid, if they wanted to make a Christmas horror movie, they’d stick an axe in Santa’s hands,” says Smith. “In ‘Anti-Claus,’ we leave Santa alone and creep with the Krampus through twisted tales of holly-jolly murder, desire, desperation and despair. Just in time for the holiday season… In America, we’re taught that nice kids gets presents from Santa and naughty kids get coal. But in countries like Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Romania and Hungary, Christmas is more metal than merry: Saint Nicholas brings a sack full of toys for good kids and the Krampus carries an empty bag for taking away the bad kids. I wanna see THAT Christmas movie. So rather than wait for it, we’ll make it instead.”
The most interesting part of Smith’s description, besides the whole Krampus thing obviously, is the use of the word “tales.” Are to interpret then that Anti-Claus is an anthology horror film set at Christmas? Because that would be the biggest novelty of all.
Kevin Smith’s Anti-Claus is scheduled to begin shooting in September with returning members of his cast from Tusk, including Genesis Rodriguez, Justin Long, Michael Parks and Haley Joel Osment.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
