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‘Krampus’ director revisits hateful tweets aimed at his holiday horror movie

Director Michael Dougherty revisits the negative reaction to his cult classic Christmas horror film, 'Krampus.'

Image via Legendary Pictures

Director Michael Dougherty’s 2015 Christmas-themed horror may not be the first festive movie that springs to mind when one envisions settling down with the family for some turkey sandwiches and eggnog-laced cheer. Still, Krampus certainly made an impact on some viewers upon its release. A solid – in terms of Christmas films – horror that rises from the bloody snow on streaming services this time each year, the eerie folktale is definitely worth a watch.

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Michael Dougherty also appears to have Krampus on his mind. In a recent Instagram post, the director shared some treasured snaps from social media that he’d taken upon the film’s initial release some six years ago.

Clearly, not everyone appreciated the marketing campaign direction that Universal Pictures took back in 2015. Some claimed that only Jesus could save the filmmakers, and parents told stories of frightened children hiding in the corners of rooms. Others composed capitalized, exclamation mark-sporting text blocks of pure fury.

The tale of an ancient, demonic spirit that haunts those that have lost faith in Christmas – starring Hollywood veterans Toni Collette and Adam Scott – was a modest success, managing to take over $60 million in ticket sales, well over the $15 million budget. Whilst Dougherty’s next directorial move was at the helm of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it still feels like there is room for a Krampus sequel, after all – there aren’t many decent Christmas horror movies out there, Father Christmas Is Back excluded, of course.