XYZ Films has picked up all international sales rights to Kevin Smith’s just-announced Anti-Claus, a Yuletide horror film populated by the stars of Smith’s Tusk, including Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez and Michael Parks.
Anti-Claus tells the tale of the centuries-old, devil-like creature known the world-over as the Krampus – the “Anti-Claus” of Alpine country folklore, infamous for eating naughty children during the season of giving.
“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.”
Robert Kurtzman, the SFX legend behind the makeup for Tusk, also returns to create the Krampus.
Principal photography on Anti-Claus begins in September. The festive fright flick will be produced by Jordan Monsanto, Andy McElfresh and Jennifer Schwalbach for Smith’s SModcast Pictures, with Jason Mewes executive producing. XYZ Films will give buyers their first look at the project during the Marché du Film this May.
