Thomas Nicholson recently discussed his experiences working on the comedic horror film It’s a Wonderful Knife, directed by Tyler MacIntyre. After wanting to collaborate with MacIntyre for years, Nicholson was thrilled when the opportunity finally arose. It’s a Wonderful Knife offers a unique twist, with the story revolving around a teenage girl, Winnie Carruthers, who experiences what life would be like if she had never existed. Set in the charming town of Angel Falls, the film unfolds a year after Winnie saves her community from a Christmas Eve killer. In an alternate universe where she was never born, she must team up with the town’s outcast to unmask the killer and find her way back to reality.
Nicholson reflected on the experience, “Working on It’s a Wonderful Knife was a phenomenal experience. Director Tyler MacIntyre and I had been wanting to work together for a couple of years, so I was thrilled when this opportunity came up. The whole film is a comedic horror take on It’s a Wonderful Life, and in our version, it’s a teenage girl, Winnie, who sees what the world would look like without her in it.”
In It’s a Wonderful Knife, Nicholson plays Wyatt Stone, the eccentric love interest of Winnie’s mother, Judy. “In the ‘real’ world, Winnie lives in an almost Hallmark-esque town in a very happy nuclear family,” he explains. “In the alternate reality, I play her mom’s boy toy, Wyatt, which was a blast. He’s disgusting to most people but not to Winnie’s mom, so it was entertaining to dive into the weird, unhinged, playful nature of this degenerate.”
Nicholson praised MacIntyre’s directing style, especially his approach of letting the camera roll a little longer after scenes to encourage improvisation. “As a director, Tyler often lets the camera roll a little extra once the scene is done to see what happens,” he shared. “I had a lot of fun improvising with Jane Widdop (Winnie), Erin Boyes (Winnie’s mom, Judy), and Jess McLeod (Winnie’s friend, Bernie), and was happy to see that some of our improvs made it in the final film.”
After It’s a Wonderful Knife, Nicholson worked on a short film that serves as a spinoff of Marco Bossow and Andy Brown’s Bucketheads, a popular Star Wars fanfiction series. He recommended Jess McLeod for a role in this project, building on the friendship they had formed on the set of It’s a Wonderful Knife. “I filmed a short film after It’s a Wonderful Knife, a spinoff of Marco Bossow and Andy Brown’s Star Wars fanfiction series, Bucketheads. After having such a great time working with Jess McLeod, I recommended that they play opposite me in the short film, which gave us another chance to work together,” he shared, adding that the project is set to release in early 2025.
Reflecting on the overall experience, Nicholson expressed how much the film meant to him professionally and personally. “That’s just one example of a great friend I made on It’s a Wonderful Knife. So, partly due to having wanted to work with Tyler MacIntyre for a while and partly due to making some very close new friends on that set, It’s a Wonderful Knife is quite dear to me. And the season’s coming up for a fun Christmas horror comedy!” He encourages audiences to look forward to this unique blend of Christmas cheer and horror with the holiday season approaching.