Krampus

The ancient legend of the iconic Christmas demon Krampus, whose notoriety grows yearly around the world, is brought to the big screen by writer/director Michael Dougherty (writer/director of Trick 'R Treat; writer of X-Men 2, Superman Returns).

The film is co-written by Dougherty, Zach Shields and Todd Casey; produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia and Dougherty; and executive produced by Danny Stillman.

A humorously creepy alternative to the traditional holiday classic, Krampus features a stellar cast that includes Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense), Golden Globe nominee Allison Tolman (TV's Fargo), David Koechner (Anchorman), Emmy nominee Conchata Ferrell (Two and a Half Men), Emjay Anthony (Chef), Stefania Owen (The Lovely Bones) and Krista Stadler (Lena Rais).

Why Wellington?

Wellington was such an important partner for us during production. From its world-class production facilities and insanely talented crew, to the wildly inventive and passionate craftsmen at Weta Workshop and Weta Digital who created our creatures and helped establish the unique aesthetic of the film, we had a wealth of unbelievable assets at our disposal

Alex Garcia - Producer

Krampus was shot in Wellington between March 16 and May 5 2015, almost entirely at Miramar's Stone Street Studios with Petone's Mitre 10 Mega used as another key location. Nearly 300 New Zealand based cast and crew were involved with the production which also employed more than 500 craftsmen associated with Weta Workshop and Weta Digital.

New Zealand businesses utilized during the production include: Park Road Post, Portsmouth Rentals, Panavision, DCR Rentals, Flying Tresels, Budget Rental Vehicles and Filmtec NZ LTD.

Check out the behind-the-scenes video from Weta Workshop.

Krampus is the kind of 'once-in-a-blue-moon' project that the creative teams at Weta Workshop relish and that, on a personal level, makes my heart beat a little faster. The pre-production phase on this film has been one of the most enjoyable of our career.

Richard Taylor - Weta Workshop

Behind The Scenes

Producer Alex Garcia checks in with the cast.

Photo credit: Steve Unwin © 2015 Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures.
Director Michael Dougherty and Workshop Supervisor Rob Gillies review Dark Elf masks.
Adam Scott prepares for take 2

Photo credit: Steve Unwin © 2015 Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures.
Weta Workshop technician Tree Harris works on the Cherub’s dress.

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About Krampus

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the Christmas holidays, young Max 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.