REVIEW: Clown in a Cornfield is based on a well-received series of young adult novels by Adam Cesare. Having not read any of the books, I went into this adaptation relatively fresh, not knowing exactly what to expect. My interest was mainly piqued thanks to the fact that it’s directed by Tucker & Dale vs Evil’s Eli Craig, having been a big fan of that horror comedy gem.

Clown in a Cornfield has a similar mix of humour and horror, although it leans slightly more towards the latter, with it owing a lot to eighties slasher flicks, albeit done through a Gen-Z lens. What makes the movie work so well is the fact that the cast of teen characters are hugely likeable, with the young cast delivering winning performances. Once they start getting picked off, which happens with surprisingly regularity (this goes for a hard-R rating), you’re almost sad to see them die off. That hasn’t happened to me in a slasher for a little while, with the characters typically underdeveloped and tailored to certain types.

Clown in a Cornfield plays with and subverts stereotypes, with the local, gun-toting quiet boy, Rust (Vincent Muller) having surprisingly heroic qualities, and the local rich kid, Cole (Carson MacCormac) ends up being an all-around solid dude with a relatable secret. The movie centers around Katie Douglas’s Quinn, who immediately finds a new group of friends when she moves to Kettle Springs, and she delivers a nicely vulnerable performance.  Typically, in movies like this, the parents are clueless, but Quinn’s father, played by Aaron Abrams, is smarter than most and figures prominently once Frendo’s gory reign begins.

Clown killers definitely seem to be having a moment, thanks to Terrifier, and Frendo should strike a chord with audiences, even if the way the plot pans out takes him in a different direction than you might expect. While working with a low-budget, Clown in a Cornfield looks great and has a fun supporting cast, with Kevin Durand chewing scenery as the town mayor, while Will Sasso is the clueless local sheriff, who immediately earns Quinn’s dislike by constantly referring to her as a sweetheart. 

Most importantly, the gore is top shelf, with it done in old-school, practical ways. There’s no CGI carnage, it’s old-school makeup and red corn syrup, and the kills are pretty gnarly, even if, given the hoped-for teen audience, they stop well short of being anywhere near as disturbing as anything from Terrifier or In a Violent Nature.

The book this was based on inspired a whole series, and if the movie does well enough, I could see it turning into a nice little franchise for Shudder, who’ll be putting it out in theaters this May before it bows on their service. If you like the lower-key eighties slashers like Prom Night, Terror Train, or My Bloody Valentine, you might get a big kick out of this. 

Clown in a Cornfield

GOOD

7

The post Clown in a Cornfield Review: A fun slasher for teens appeared first on JoBlo.

After holding some preview screenings at drive-ins this past weekend, RLJE Films will be giving an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE), directed by Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig, a wide theatrical release on May 9th – and in anticipation of that release, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray was able to sit down for an interview with Craig and cast member Kevin Durand (Abigail)! You can watch the interview in the video embedded above.

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Durand is joined in the cast by Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), and Will Sasso (The Three Stooges).

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

When the distribution deal was made, Craig said, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo. Bumbray had the chance to watch Clown in a Cornfield a while back and gave it a 7/10 review that can be read at THIS LINK.

Are you looking forward to Clown in a Cornfield? Check out our interview with Eli Craig and Kevin Durand, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield Interview: Director Eli Craig and Kevin Durand on their slasher throwback appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since we heard that an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE) was in the works, with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film. Recently, we learned when we’re going to have the chance to see the movie, as it was announced that RLJE Films will be giving it a theatrical release in the United States on May 9th – and before we reach that date, the killer clown known as Frendo has set out on a two-week cross-country tour!

Here’s the information: Frendo, the childhood clown of your nightmares from the upcoming, highly anticipated horror film, is hitting the road for two weeks on a semi-truck tour ahead of the film’s theatrical release on May 9th. Frendo is expected to terrorize anyone who gets in his way at iconic landmarks, special screenings and events across the country. Fans of Frendo can follow his whereabouts on social media @Shudder and @Clown_in_a_Cornfield. Those brave enough to track down the tour truck or one of the film’s “Don’t F*** With Frendo” posters in the wild and post a photo with the hashtag #IFoundFrendo will be entered to win an exclusive prize pack.

Frendo’s semi-truck tour will make stops at the following locations and dates: – April 28: Atlanta, Ga. at Truist Park – April 29: Dallas, Texas at Reunion Arena Tower – April 30: Roswell, N.M. at the International UFO Museum and Research Center – May 1: Grand Canyon, Ariz. at The Grand Canyon – May 2: Las Vegas, Nev. at the Westwind Drive-in – May 4: Pomona, Calif. at the Los Angeles County Fair – May 5: Los Angeles, Calif. at Brain Dead Studios – May 7: Tonopah, Nev. at The Clown Motel – May 8: Denver, Colo. at the Red Rocks Amphitheater – May 9: Kansas City, Mo. at an AMC Theater – Follow along for exact location! – May 10: Nashville, Tenn. – Follow along for more details!

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

When the distribution deal was made, Craig said, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray recently had the chance to watch Clown in a Cornfield and gave it a 7/10 review that can be read at THIS LINK.

Before the theatrical run officially begins on May 9th, Clown in a Cornfield will also be screening at select drive-ins around the country on May 2nd and 3rd. Click HERE to see locations and buy tickets.

Are you looking forward to Clown in a Cornfield, and will you be trying to catch up with Frendo during his cross-country tour? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield slasher Frendo heads out on a two-week cross-country tour before the film’s release appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since we heard that an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE) was in the works, with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film. Recently, we learned when we’re going to have the chance to see the movie, as it was announced that RLJE Films will be giving it a theatrical release in the United States on May 9th. That will be followed by a streaming release on the Shudder service. With one month to go until the film reaches the big screen, a clip has made its way online – and it’s surprisingly SPOILERy, because it shows one of the kill scenes. But if you don’t mind having a kill spoiled for you, check out the clip in the embed above.

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

When the distribution deal was made, Craig said, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray recently had the chance to watch Clown in a Cornfield and gave it a 7/10 review that can be read at THIS LINK.

What did you think of the Clown in a Cornfield clip? Do you think this kill scene should have been spoiled already? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield clip shows off one of the slasher movie’s kill scenes appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since we heard that an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE) was in the works, with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film. Recently, we learned when we’re going to have the chance to see the movie, as it was announced that RLJE Films will be giving it a theatrical release in the United States on May 9th. That will be followed by a streaming release on the Shudder service. The full trailer was attached to the theatrical release of the sci-fi thriller Ash last weekend, and now it has made its way online. You can check it out in the embed above!

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

When the distribution deal was made, Craig said, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray recently had the chance to watch Clown in a Cornfield and gave it a 7/10 review that can be read at THIS LINK.

What did you think of the Clown in a Cornfield trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield slasher movie unveils a full trailer appeared first on JoBlo.

Flying Lotus has directed the experimental comedy Kuso and the Ozzy’s Dungeon segment of the horror anthology V/H/S/99, and next up for the rapper and filmmaker (who is a.k.a. Steven Ellison) is the sci-fi thriller Ash, starring Eiza González (Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad). RLJE Films will be giving Ash a nationwide theatrical release this Friday, March 21st (you can read our 6/10 review HERE) – and a press release has revealed that a full trailer for the slasher movie Clown in a Cornfield will be attached to Ash! The only way to see the trailer in theatres this weekend will be to attend a screening of Ash.

An adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel (pick up a copy HERE) from Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil director Eli Craig, Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

In Ash, González plays a woman who wakes on a far-flung planet to find her crew mysteriously murdered. When a man (Paul) comes to investigate the scene, she must decide if she can trust him or if he’s responsible for her series of unfortunate events. Here’s the official synopsis: On the mysterious planet of Ash, Riya (González) awakens to find her crew slaughtered. When a man named Brion (Paul) arrives to rescue her, an ordeal of psychological and physical terror ensues while Riya and Brion must decide if they can trust one another to survive.

Beulah Koale (Hawaii Five-O), Kate Elliott (The Gulf), and Iko Uwais of the Raid films are also in the cast. At one time, Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were signed on to star in the film, but they both had to drop out and were replaced by González and Paul.

Flying Lotus – who some may know as the FlyLo FM DJ featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto Online – directed the film from a screenplay by Jonni Remmler and is also composed the score. XYZ Films and GFC Films are producing Ash, with Neill Blomkamp and Echo Lake serving as executive producers. XYZ Films is co-financing the project with IPR.VC. Blomkamp is known for his own directing endeavors, including the films District 9, Elysium, Chappie, and Demonic. Individual producers are Nate Bolotin of XYZ Films and Matthew Metcalfe of GFC Films.

RLJE Films will be giving Clown in a Cornfield a theatrical release in the United States on May 9th. You can read our 7/10 review HERE.

Are you looking forward to Ash and/or Clown in a Cornfield? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield trailer will be attached to Ash, in theatres this weekend appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since we heard that an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE) was in the works, with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film. Recently, we learned when we’re going to have the chance to see the movie, as it was announced that RLJE Films will be giving it a theatrical release in the United States on May 9, 2025. That will be followed by a streaming release on the Shudder service. Yesterday, a poster for the film arrived online, coming with the promise that a teaser trailer would be unveiled – and now, that red band teaser trailer can be seen in the embed above!

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

When the distribution deal was made, Craig said, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo.

What did you think of the red band teaser trailer for Clown in a Cornfield? Will you be catching this movie on the big screen in May? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield slasher movie unveils a red band teaser trailer, heading for May theatrical release appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since we heard that an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE) was in the works, with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film. Recently, we learned when we’re going to have the chance to see the movie, as it was announced that RLJE Films will be giving it a theatrical release in the United States on May 9, 2025. That will be followed by a streaming release on the Shudder service. With the theatrical release date now just a couple of months away, a poster for Clown in a Cornfield has arrived online – and it comes with a promise that the trailer will be dropping tomorrow! You can take a look at the poster at the bottom of this article, then come back to JoBlo.com tomorrow to watch the trailer.

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

When the distribution deal was made, Craig said, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo.

Are you looking forward to watching Clown in a Cornfield in May? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and check out the poster while you’re scrolling down!

The post Clown in a Cornfield slasher movie gets a poster today, trailer tomorrow appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since we heard that an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE) was in the works, with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film. Now we know when we’re going to have the chance to see the movie, as it has been announced that RLJE Films will be giving it a theatrical release in the United States on May 9, 2025. That will be followed by a streaming release on the Shudder service.

Clown in a Cornfield centers on Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Eli Craig wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard.

Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail) star.

Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer produced alongside Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas of Rhea Films. Executive producers include Blanchard, as well as Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, and Kostas Tsoukalas of Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman of Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton of Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films Inc., and Myron John Tataryn of Thundersnow Pictures. Clown in a Cornfield is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.

RLJE Films’ Chief Acquisition Officer Mark Ward provided the following statement: “Adam Cesare’s Clown series has been on my radar for some time now, and we are pumped to bring Eli Craig’s harrowing, savage, heart-pounding adaptation to the big screen in 2025.“

Craig added, “I’m thrilled to partner with RLJE Films and Shudder to release this insanely fun action, horror, comedy where we always wanted it to be seen — in theaters! As always in my movies, there’s a deeper theme about the collision of perspectives and ideals that leads to utter mayhem. It was fun in this one, however, to let the horror thrills take the lead, while the comedic absurdity that I can’t help but see in life brings a bit of levity.“

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written two more novels in the series, Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo.

Are you looking forward to watching Clown in a Cornfield in 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Clown in a Cornfield: RLJE Films and Shudder plan 2025 release for slasher thriller appeared first on JoBlo.

Temple Hill Entertainment has had great success with the horror movie Smile, which has earned almost $200 million at the global box office – so it’s no surprise they have just lined up another horror project. Deadline reports that Temple Hill will be producing an adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel Clown in a Cornfield (pick up a copy HERE), with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and Little Evil‘s Eli Craig on board to direct the film.

Clown in a Cornfield will tell the story of a fading midwestern town, in which Frendo the clown – a symbol of bygone success – reemerges as a terrifying scourge. Cesare’s novel has the following description:

Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs, to find a fresh start. But what they don’t know is that ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half. On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can.

Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.

If the Clown in a Cornfield movie is successful, there is definitely franchise potential here. Cesare has already written a second novel in the series, Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives, and is currently working on a third.

Carter Blanchard is writing the Clown in a Cornfield adaptation. Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are producing the film, with Petersen Harris, George Berman, and John Fischer overseeing the project for them. The producers provided the following statement: “We love Eli Craig’s brand of scary fun and are thrilled to be working with him on this terrifying slasher adaptation that is both timely and timeless.“

Protagonist is handling the worldwide sales. The company’s CEO Dave Bishop had this to say: “Nostalgia driven, elevated horrors that deliver on the promise of the genre – thrilling action, heart-stopping suspense and deeply satisfying endings – continue to dominate at the global box-office. Our friends at Temple Hill are masters of taking this critical formula and creating wholly original stories that surprise, delight and gratify audiences and Eli is the perfect visionary to bring this special project to its full potential.“

How does Clown in a Cornfield sound to you? Have you read the book, and are you looking forward to seeing a cinematic adaptation? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

A movie with that set-up and Eli Craig at the helm sounds like a good time to me.

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