By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
Kevin Smith, director of such films as Clerks, Red State and Tusk, is working on a third horror film. Originally titled Here Comes the Krampus!, it has been renamed Anti-Claus. Its being scripted by Andy McElfresh and Kevin Smith and is based on an idea created by Andy McElfresh during a Christmas episode of SModcast.
For this latest project, Smith will be using actors from his second horror feature Tusk, including Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Michael Parks, and Ralph Garman.
Smith said earlier in the year that the film would be shot before Clerks III.
XYZ Films launched the project at the Cannes Film Market. Its has already pre-sold to Premium Films in Russia, Rialto Distribution in Australia, Vendetta Films in New Zealand, PictureWorks in India, Queen in Indonesia, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, WME Global in the United States, and Falcon Films in the Middle East. More deals are expected to be announced in the coming days by XYZ Films.
Jordan Monsanto, Andy McElfresh, and Jennifer Schwalbach are producing for Smith’s SModcast Pictures, with Jason Mewes executive producing. SFX legend Robert Kurtzman who did make-up for Tusk will be creating the Krampus.
On Smith’s blog earlier in the year, he announced he will co-direct the horror feature with McElfresh, Mewes, Schwalbach and Carol Banker. The cast reported thus far are Kevin Smith’s co-podcaster Scotty Mosier, and Family Guy voice artist Ralph Garman.
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 is infamous for eating naughty children during the season of giving. The movie will be told in single story episodes, stitched together with a framing device similar to the classic Creepshow film.
Principal photography is set to begin in September, 2014.
Credit(s): The Hollywood Reporter, and My Boring Ass Life.
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