Best known for the 1980s cult hit Killer Klowns from Outer Space, the Chiodo Brothers (aka Charles, Stephen, and Edward) are bringing a new animated special to Netflix. Set for release in November, Alien Xmas will be a 40-minute production based on the 2015 book of the same name by the Chiodos and some first look images have now been revealed and are available below, making us excited to see how the finished product will turn out.
The original story of Alien Xmas has the following synopsis:
“On Christmas Eve, in this quiet little outpost at the top of the world, the battle for Earth began. Aliens swarmed the castle like insects, and Santa and the elves defended the village the best they could. Gift-wrapping guns bound the invaders in colorful paper and ribbon like mummies. Candy cane slingshots fired snowballs. Vats of caramel doused aliens climbing castle walls.”
From what we can tell, the film will be more family-friendly than some of the Chiodos’ other work. In fact, the siblings have paired up with Jon Favreau to bring their creation to Netflix. Of course, stop-motion animation is always welcome when done well, and the Chiodos have long had the artistic chops in this medium, meaning that Alien Xmas looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.
For those not aware, the Chiodo Brothers were a key part of the 1980s movie scene, producing special effects for everything from Critters to Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and have also lent their animation and model-making talents to Team America: World Police and sections of of Elf. In addition, they’ve seen their work show up in high-profile bits for The Simpsons and other shows.
Of course, their most well known effort is arguably Killer Klowns from Outer Space, which features some truly nightmarish visions in a film that pays homage to 1950s sci-fi. We’re particular fans of the 1988 picture, too, which has grown a solid audience over the years. There’s also been a lot of talk of a sequel, with interest coming from Syfy, while the Chiodos are even open to a reboot. For now, though, fans of their style will be able to check out Alien Xmas from November 20th on Netflix.
