From the wicked mind that brought us the Halloween cult classicTrick ‘r Treat, directorMichael Dougherty, comes a new thriller just in time for Christmas,Universal Pictures’Krampus. With just under two weeks untilKrampushits theaters, the studio has released a new featurette. This preview not only shows howKrampushas invaded mainstream culture, but offers insight into how this terrifying legend came to be.
This preview features footage from TV shows such asThe League,Family GuyandThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, along with news footage showing how real-life people are trying to keep theKrampustradition alive by dressing up as this demonic companion to St. Nicholas. Born out of Pagan folklore, the legend ofKrampusreveals that he punishes naughty children by beating them with branches, putting them in a sack, and dragging them to hell. Now fans will finally get to see this mythical creature terrorize a new family on the big screen.
Legendary Pictures’ and Universal Pictures’Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday. When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.
Thehorror-comedyalso starsAdam Scott,Toni Collette,David Koechner,Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Owen and Krista Stadler.Krampusand his mischievous underlings have been created by the combined efforts of Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, both renowned for their epic work onThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbittrilogies andKing Kong, among many others. Written and directed byMichael Dougherty(Trick ‘r Treat),Krampusis co-written byZach Shieldsand Todd Casey and produced by Legendary’sThomas Tulland Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia andDougherty.
The film will be released on December 4 by Universal Pictures, which is currently the only wide release in theaters that weekend. This could mean thatKrampuscould rake in big bucks at thebox office, with no competition, but last weekend’s winnerThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2will still be going strong into December, along with this weekend’s new releasesThe Good Dinosaur,CreedandVictor Frankenstein. While we wait to see howKrampusfares at the box office, take a look at this new preview to learn more about the history of this evil presence.
