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Klaus (Exclusive Series (Netflix)

  • Writer: Matt Palmer
    Matt Palmer
  • Dec 2, 2021
  • 2 min read


Initial release date: November 8, 2019


Studios: Netflix/ Netflix Animation/ Sergio Pablos Animation Studios


Tagline: Discover the friendship that launched a legend


Plot: After proving himself to be the worst student at the academy, a postman is sent to a frozen town in the North where he discovers a reclusive toy-maker named Klaus.


Cast

Jason Schwartzman (The French Dispatch) - Jasper

J.K. Simmons (Ghostbusters: Afterlife; Spider-Man: No Way Home) - Klaus

Rashida Jones (Spies in Disguise) - Alva

Will Sasso (Netflix’s F Is For Family) - Mr. Ellingboe

Neda Margrethe Labba - Margu

Sergio Pablos - Pumpkin/Olaf

Norm MacDonald (Hulu’s The Orville) - Mogens

Joan Cusack (Netflix’s Let It Snow) - Mrs. Krum

Kendell Joy Hall - Annelise


Writer(s): Sergio Pablos/ Jim Mahoney/ Zach Lewis


Director: Sergio Pablos/ Carlos Martinez Lopez


Rated PG for rude humor and mild action (96 minutes)


The 2019 animated Netflix Original ‘Klaus’ is, without a doubt, a huge unexpected surprise. ‘Klaus’ serves as an alternate take of the origin of everyone’s favorite jolly Saint.

This Netflix Original feature is really entertaining and original. The story is very clever and there are quite a few moments that are really funny.

‘Klaus’ is really well-done and can also be rather moving and touching. In fact, including the two ‘Christmas Chronicles’ movies (which I will be checking out soon), this is one of those few Netflix holiday movies that are truly really good. Not to mention, the animation is extremely beautiful.

Over the years, there have been quite a few various Santa origins released. And, this one, like I said, is really clever, unique and one of the best! Make sure to check out this entertaining and inspiring animated film on Netflix!!!


Here are some interesting tidbits for Netflix’s ‘Klaus’:

  • Director Sergio Pablos had wanted to do a traditionally animated film, but he wanted to see how the animation would have evolved without the switch to CG animation. So the studio used CGI lighting techniques with hand-drawn animation to create a unique animation for the story.

  • The fictional town of Smeerensburg was based on Smeerenburg, an actual town that existed in Norway. It used to be a prosperous whaling post during the 17th century.

  • Neda Magrethe Labba, who voices the Sami girl Margu, didn’t speak any English. Sergio Pablos traveled all the way to Tromso, Norway where she lives and did her whole recording session through transition and mimicry.

  • This is the first traditionally hand-drawn animated movie to make use of volumetric lighting and texturing to give it a more 3D-like look.

  • The film was shopped around to various studios, who perceived it as “too risky”, from April 2015 until Netflix acquired the rights in November 2017.

  • The first animated film from Netflix to be nominated for an Academy Award.

  • Netflix reported that the film was viewed by nearly 30 million people in its first month on the platform.

  • In development for nearly ten years.

  • Pablos found working with Netflix was quite different from other studios. He would still be given notes on creative choices the studio thought he should make, but the difference with Netflix was that these were just suggestions and not mandatory.

  • Norm MacDonald’s final film role.




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