The local filmmaker’s new version of “A Christmas Carol” hits streaming platforms

Local filmmaker Rose Kreider’s latest film, a retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” with a Pacific Northwest twist, arrives on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi this December, just in time for the 2025 holiday season.

Kreider entered the world of filmmaking through modeling, which she learned during the pandemic. She switched from her modeling career to acting and eventually made the leap from acting to directing her own films.

“Modeling is a come-at-all-costs world. I definitely didn’t like the competitive nature of it. “Acting is basically the same thing,” Kreider said. “When it comes to directing, you create your own schedule and business structure. You’re kind of at the helm, meaning when the cast or crew have questions, they come to you for a leadership decision. I don’t trust other people to do the work either, I prefer to just do it myself.”

Kreider added that as a program manager at Microsoft, it was natural for him to take on the role of director.

Her first film, The Woman, released in theaters in 2022, follows a troubled art student at the University of Washington who goes on a search for his birth mother when he learns he was kidnapped at a young age.

The film premiered to sold-out audiences at the Edmonds Community Center in 2022.

“The Woman” was released on streaming platforms with relatively good viewership and sits at 6.5/10 on IMDB. However, after having some creative differences with her production company, Kreider decided to form her own production studio, Rose Kreider Productions, shortly after its release.

“After the woman. I decided I didn’t want to be in a partnership with anyone. I wanted to do all the casting and hiring and make all the executive decisions.” Kreider said.

In addition to writing, directing, editing, distributing and casting, Kreider single-handedly told the Lynnwood Times that her version of “A Christmas Carol” features a much larger cast than her first film, with a total of 62 actors. With more talent as a director and more special effects, this is her most ambitious project to date.

The film stars Tobias Yuodelis as Scrooge, Jeff Barnaby as Bob Cratchit and Christopher Kok as Fred. The story is set in the Seattle area, with several locations filmed around Snohomish County, including Lynnwood and the city of Snohomish. Kreider, originally from Kirkland, said Snohomish County has always had a special place in her heart because her family lives in Snohomish and she grew up visiting there.

An example of the story taking a Pacific Northwest twist is the creation of Scrooge into a tech billionaire and the countless references to coffee and popular Seattle spots.

Kreider completed her screenplay on January 3rd of this year, based on Charles Dickens’ classic public domain tale in which Scrooge learns the meaning of Christmas, drawing heavily from all the retellings that she and her family have each created Year round Christmas season.

A self-proclaimed “huge Christmas fan,” Kreider told the Lynnwood Times that her decision to do “A Christmas Carol” came from both her love of the holiday and inspiration from 2008’s “A Christmas Carol,” starring Jim Carey . She knew that after the source material entered the public domain, she decided to retell the Christmas classic, this time with a setting in Seattle and centered around the Pacific Northwest culture in which she grew up.

From January to late February, Kreider and her cameraman scouted locations around North Seattle, Lynnwood and Snohomish. Filming took place from March 8th to July 7th.

One of the questions Kreider asked the actors during the audition was whether they liked Christas.

“If you liked Christmas, then you’re there.” Kreider said. “I wanted everyone working on the project to love Christmas as much as I do. When I came up with the idea of ​​doing a modern Seattle version of A Christmas Carol, it was because I really love Christmas and wanted it to be a house movie staple every holiday season.”

The film premiered to a sold-out crowd at the Edmonds Community Center on November 3 and received positive reviews from audiences. Kreider recommends that people who might be interested in seeing “A Christmas Carol” in a modern setting with local actors, citing the culture of the Pacific Northwest, watch her interpretation at least once.

Kreider’s “A Christmas Carol” will be released on streaming platforms this December, but a specific date has not yet been set.

Kreider is already busy working on her next two projects, an animated film that will hopefully begin production next March, and another feature film that is already in pre-production.