Film · 2019

Klaus

Name: Klaus
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Released: 2019-11-08
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 7.9
Cast: Joan Cusack, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Will Sasso

Directed by Sergio Pablos · starring Joan Cusack, Rashida Jones and J.K. Simmons

1 h 36 min
PG
Animation · Adventure · Family
Spain France
Released in the UK 7 November 2019

7.3 AverageMovieNCo
7.9 Users13 votes
6.6 Critics6 reviews

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Synopsis

when Jesper is chosen as the postal academy's worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters and not only that, they are proud of being an unhappy place. One day, Jesper met Klaus, a very mysterious carpenter who lives hidden in the forest. When the young mailman discovers that Klaus has in his home lots of wooden toys made by him, he proposes Klaus to give them to the children who live in the city. After that, between the children runs a rumor which says that if they write a letter to Mister Klaus, they will receive wherever they ask for at night. When the neighbors noticed that the mailman and the carpenter are breaking the unhappiness of the place, they will try to make things difficult for them.

This animation project in 2D of Sergio Pablos, the artist from Madrid responsible for the creation of the character Gru, of the homonymous franchise. It began in the form of a short and striking teaser with which he has obtained the support of Atresmedia and Netflix to take it forward, along with the studio of the director: SPA Studios. In addition to Sergio Pablos, the script of the feature film will be co-written with Zach Lewis and Jim Mahoney. It will arrive at the end of 2019 to the Netflix streaming platform.

Where to watch Klaus

All the options

Available now in the UK:

Netflix subscription

The essentials

Runtime: 96 min1 hour and 36 minutes
Budget: €36.3mThe SPA Studios
Rating: PGParental guidance

How long is Klaus?: 1 hour and 36 minutes (96 minutes).
When was Klaus released in the UK?: It was released in the UK on 7 November 2019.
Who directed Klaus?: Sergio Pablos.
Who is in Klaus?: It stars Joan Cusack, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons and Jason Schwartzman.
Where can I watch Klaus?: In the UK it is available with a subscription on Netflix.

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Cast

Full cast (15)

Director: Sergio Pablos
Writers: Sergio Pablos
Producers: Gustavo Ferrada, Mercedes Gamero, Mikel Lejarza, Sergio Pablos

Videos and trailers

All 3 videos

'Klaus' #2 trailer 2:4512 October 2019

Photos and posters

All 17 photos

+9 photosand 3 posters

Reviews

All 6 reviews

7.9 13 votes

108 %
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854 %
715 %
60 %
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What the critics say average 6.6 from 6 outlets

7.5 Roger EbertMatt Zoller Seitz The charming Klaus probably plays better if you don't know going in that it's a Santa Claus origin story. Read
7.0 The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeFore Sergio Pablos' Klaus invents its own unexpected and very enjoyable origin story for the big guy who gives out toys every Christmas eve. Shaking off most Yuletide cliches in favor of a from-scratch… Read
7.0 The WrapAlonso Duralde It?s far more successful with holiday magic than it is with character-based comedy, but that?s not enough of a flaw to keep young audiences (and their parents) from potentially turning this feature… Read

Awards

All the awards

Academy Awards (Oscars) 2020 1 nomination
BAFTA Awards 2020 1 of 1 nomination Won: Best Animated Feature Film
Goya Awards 2020 2 nominations

Soundtrack

All 6 songs

InvisibleZara Larsson, Mixed Tony Maserati Spotify
How You Like Me NowThe Heavy, Authorized Peermusic Española S, A, U Spotify
Don't Mess With The PostmanBorja Justo Franco, Mixing, Mastering Antonio Escobar Spotify
One, Two, ThreeBrian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland Spotify

Trivia

All 10 facts

Rashida's second time

This is the second time Rashida Jones has voiced a character in an animated holiday movie. The first time was in 2018's "The Grinch", where she voiced Donna, the mother of Cindy Lou Who.
Inspired by 'Apocalypse Now'

Although Klaus is old school hand drawn animation the makers used computers to give the scenes a special, realistic light. The scene where Klaus is first seen coming out of the dark is inspired by the Colonel Kurtz shots from Apocalypse Now
Memories from the past

During Klaus's flashback, both young Klaus and Lydia are shown to have dark brown hair. This strongly implies that the couple aren't natives of the island since the residents' hair color is either blonde (the Sami people), black (the Krums), or red (the Ellingboes).
Jesper's origins

Jesper, is a Nordic transformation of Jasper, which is a German side form to Caspar. This name, in turn, is probably of Persian origin and means "treasurer". This foreshadows his role of helping Klaus deliver the toys ('treasures') to the children of Smeerensburg.
The esthetic of the film

When the animators were designing Smeerensburg, they used a lot of sharp angles and triangles to show that the environment wasn't friendly or comfortable. By contrast, Klaus's cabin and barn were made to look sturdy and strong, much like Klaus himself.