INTERVIEW: Jeff Kinney On Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas Cabin Fever

An entertaining, silly, and fun holiday movie for the whole family, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever is another new seasonal favorite for the list. To celebrate Greg Heffley's latest adventure, I had the chance to chat with Jeff Kinney, author and script writer of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise, about Christmas traditions, being on the naughty list, and more.

INTERVIEW: Jeff Kinney On Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas Cabin Fever

It's Christmas time and Greg Heffley (Wesley Kimmel) is trying his hardest (sorta) to be on his best behavior. Not because he wants to be good but because he wants this year's ultimate gaming system. His plan for making it on the nice list goes awry when he and his best friend Rowley (Spencer Howell) accidentally damage a snowplow. Sure it was an accident, but running from their mistake and lying about it definitely puts Greg in naughty territory. Worried he will be found out, Greg devises a scheme to escape judgement but then a snowstorm hits, forcing everyone to shelter at home. Now he has to deal with his parents, a grumpy Rodrick, annoying little Manny, and worst of all his mom's elf (on the shelf), Santa's Scout who always seems to be watching his every move.

It's always a good day when you get to start it off by chatting with the super nice Jeff Kinney. This time we spoke it was to talk all things Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas Cabin Fever, the latest book adaptation to get the animation treatment on Disney Plus. Unlike the previous 2 movies, this one has never been adapted so everything was fresh. With some slight tweaks to the original story, Kinney and the team have delivered another fan-pleasing film.

About the creepy elf

Jeff: It's a parody, of course, of certain holiday traditions that people have adopted in the past like 10 or 15 years. I think it's really a funny idea that this thing is watching you. You know, it was fun to kind of introduce this idea of horror in a Christmas movie.

On the decision to change the story for the animated adaptation

Jeff: I think in a movie, you really need to tell a story in a really particular type of way. And the trouble that Greg gets in, in the original Cabin Fever story, is not really big trouble. It's small potatoes. So I needed to create a big moment in this where Greg does something really bad where the audience sort of gasps. So that's the biggest change to this story. But a lot of the beats are kind of the same as they were in the book, especially regarding the elf and of course, getting snowed in with your family during the holidays.

Naughty like Greg and looking for presents or Nice like Rowley?

Jeff: I probably would have been a seeker. In fact, I remember one time, I had a really prized gift that I really wanted. And I found it…before Christmas, and so I knew, just like Greg knew.

and your brothers?

Jeff: I think we all would have been a little bit on Santa's naughty list!