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Stars: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso, Verity Marks, Cassandra Potenza, Ayo Solanke, Alexandra Martin Deakin | Written by Eli Craig, Carter Blanchard | Directed by Eli Craig

Adapted from the 2020 YA novel by Adam Cesare, teen slasher horror Clown in a Cornfield is directed by Eli Craig, who made the 2010 cult comedy hit Tucker and Dale vs Evil. As such, there are some decent stabs at Scream-style meta-comedy and a couple of excellent twists, but the actual horror falls a little flat, especially compared to recent clown-based frighteners.

The film opens in small-town Kettle Springs, Missouri, in 1991, where a couple of partying teens get murdered by a psycho in a clown costume, just as they’re about to have sex in a cornfield. The film then jumps to the present day, where 17-year-old Quinn (Katie Douglas) is moving into Kettle Springs, along with her...

After the film premiered at SXSW, our Alan French called the slasher film Clown in a Cornfield a “perfect crowd pleaser” and “a masterful showcase from one of horror’s most comedic figures.” Following a group of teens who find themselves being hunted down by their town’s lovable mascot, Frendo the Clown, Clown in a Cornfield feels like a send-up of classic horror cinema that is also set on forging its own path in the genre.

We at FandomWire got to speak with Clown in a Cornfield co-writer/director Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) and author Adam Cesare, who wrote the book upon which the film was based. We discuss subverting audience expectations and making R-rated horror for teens. Check out the full interview below.

Clown in a Cornfield Interview Frendo the Clown in Eli Craig’s Clown In A Cornfield. Courtesy of Rlje Films & Shudder. An Rlje Films & Shudder Release.

The adaptation of author Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield recreates what makes the young adult novel and its subsequent sequels so special: it speaks to a younger generation about the frustrating generational divide while never sacrificing the horror. This slasher movie knows the best way to a budding horror fan’s heart is through gratuitous violence, cheer-worthy kills, and a batch of root-worthy characters that lament the frustrations that come from being disregarded by adults. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil director Eli Craig tackles the mostly faithful adaptation with aplomb, bringing the right balance of gore and comedy for a zippy, lean slasher.

Bypassing the novel’s cold open with something of a more traditional slasher opener, Clown in a Cornfield introduces protagonist Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her dad, Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), as they arrive in their new hometown of Kettle Springs. It’s a...

In the three decades since the kids in Scream sat around explaining the rules of slasher movies, the genre has been deconstructed to the point where it can feel like there isn’t a whole lot left to subvert or satirize. And while some filmmakers are still finding fresh ways to reinvent it—most recently Jt Mollner’s Strange Darling and Chris Nash’s In a Violent Nature—there’s also a lot to be said for not getting too cute about this stuff. Eli Craig’s Clown in a Cornfield works precisely because it plays things straight, offering a nod and a wink to the genre’s rules while adhering to them in order to deliver a simple, satisfying slasher.

Based on Adam Cesare’s 2020 young-adult horror novel, the film begins with Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father, Dr. Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), moving to Kettle Springs, Missouri. She quickly...

The latest "killer clown" movie that is set to terrorize horror fans across the world is premiering in theaters on May 9, 2025, courtesy of Shudder and Rlje Films. However, this won't be the first chance they will have to see the movie. Exactly one week before, Clown in a Cornfield will premiere exclusively in a few select drive-ins across the country.

As reported by Variety, Eli Craig's adaptation of the Adam Cesare novel will land in drive-ins on the weekend of May 2 and 3. Ticket buyers lucky enough to snatch a pass to these early screenings will also receive a limited-edition poster, and tickets can already be purchased in some of the locations. The drive-in theaters that have programmed these early screenings include the following:

The Galaxy Drive-In in Ennis, TX The Four Bros Drive-In in Amenia, NY The West Wind Drive-In in Sacramento, CA, Glendale, Az and Las Vegas, Nv.

The horror film “Clown in a Cornfield” has a title that certainly delivers on its promise to ticket buyers: Yes, there is scary clown action in a cornfield. But as fans of Adam Cesare’s hit 2020 YA novel know, there’s plenty of twists below the surface we won’t spoil here — and many tell deeper truths about the heartland.

The initial plot concerns sullen teen Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her fraying bond with her depressed father (Aaron Abrams), who move to a sleepy Midwest town that is decaying after the local corn syrup factory shudders and is burned down. After falling in with a group of troublemaking teens, a clown that resembles Frendo, the factory’s mascot, begins terrorizing the town and targeting Quinn and her buddies. Yet near the midpoint of the movie, there’s a scene that plays against horror movie tropes so effectively that it acts...

The slasher genre can sometimes find itself in a long-running rut. After all, there are many ways to tell these stories, but few feel genuinely innovative. Clown in a Cornfield comes from director Eli Craig, the director of horror comedies Little Evil and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. While other directors might try to push the story in other directions, Craig maximizes everything about the screenplay. The humor lands to perfection, the meta moments are brilliant sendups on the genre, and the kills are gnarly. As a perfect crowd pleaser, Clown in a Cornfield is a masterful showcase from one of horror’s most comedic figures.

RelatedRanking The Friday the 13th Franchise – 45 Years of the Violent Voorhees Family Clown ina Cornfield — The Plot

Moving to the small town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, Quinn (Katie Douglas) already feels at odds. Her father (Aaron Abrams) took the job to escape the big...

The horror genre is indebted to teenagers, especially slashers. For decades, slashers have delighted audiences with scenes of teens being massacred in every way, shape and form. Still, for the most part, slashers are aimed at adult audiences who see the teens as dumb and deserving of punishment rather than people they identify with. Even outside of the slasher genre, horror tends to be either for kids or for adults, with a few movies for young teens here and there. The YA demographic, however, is sorely misrepresented, forced to either see movies dumbed down for younger audiences or ones that treat them like kids.

There are exceptions, of course, like the successful “Fear Street” trilogy based on R.L. Stine’s YA book series, and now Eli Craig’s “Clown in a Cornfield.” Written by Craig and Carter Blanchard, the movie adapts the book of the same name by Adam Cesare.

The 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival kicked off Friday, March 7 in Austin with world and North American premieres of movies in 11 sections, TV shows in three sections and several short film and virtual reality programs.

This year’s festival launched with opening-night film Another Simple Favor reteaming Paul Feig, Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, with other notable world premiere titles including Chad Hartigan’s The Threesome, Kate Mara‘s two entries The Astronaut and The Dutchman (the latter also starring André Holland), the Ben Affleck-Jon Bernthal sequel The Accountant 2, the Nicole Kidman-starring Holland and Death of a Unicorn starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega.

Check out Deadline’s reviews recaps below as films premiere at the fest, which runs through March 15, and click on the titles for the full reviews.

The Accountant 2 ‘The Accountant 2’

Section: Headliner

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda,...

Although a film called Clown in a Cornfield might inspire little confidence in anything of substance, writer-director Eli Craig’s latest film offers much more than the title suggests.

Based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Adam Cesare, the satirical slasher stars Katie Douglas as Quinn Maybrook, a troubled teen girl who moves with her doctor dad (Aaron Abrams) to the small town of Kettle Springs, Missouri.

A once-booming town stuck in the ’90s, residents still gather to celebrate its Founders’ Day, as well as Frendo the clown, the mascot for the once-thriving Baypen corn syrup factory that has since caught fire and left many without work. After Quinn quickly befriends a group of troublemaking teens suspected of setting the blaze, the youths are picked off by the titular homicidal jester.

Beyond the absurdly dark humor and brutal kills, the movie emphasizes many Middle America struggles while playing...

Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar in ‘Drop,’ directed by Christopher Landon. (Photo Courtesy of Overlook Film Festival)

The 2025 Overlook Film Festival announced its first wave of films, with director Christopher Landon’s Drop starring Brandon Sklenar (1923) and Meghann Fahy (The Perfect Couple) set as the Opening Night film. This year’s popular horror film festival will take place April 3-6 in New Orleans and will include 47 films, live performances, interactive events, and special guests.

Attendees will also be treated to screenings of classic horror films including director Ernest Dickerson’s Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight and the 40th anniversary 4K restoration of Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator.

“No matter how many years this festival runs, every time we get to re-open the gates of our spectral summer camp feels like a miracle,” stated Landon Zakheim, co-founder and executive director of the Overlook FIlm Festival. “For all wayward souls and monster...

Are you afraid of clowns? Rlje Films and Shudder just released the official trailer for its upcoming slasher film Clown in a Cornfield, and it will definitely make you rethink your fear of clowns. The new slasher is slated to hit theaters this spring. The exact theatrical release date is Friday, May 9, 2025. The film is also expected to land on Shudder later in the year. Don't forget to mark your calendar and keep an eye out for this movie, as it's bound to bring a whole new level of terror to the clown horror genre!

If you're a book lover, chances are you've already heard about this film. It's based on Adam Cesare's 2020 horror novel of the same name. A feature film adaptation of the book was first announced back in May 2020 before the book had even come out, with Temple Hill Entertainment acquiring the rights to adapt it.

Photo: Janel Parrish, Dominic Sherwood

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

Hallmark’s Fall Into Love programming event soon comes to an end, with the final movie being Haunted Wedding. The movie tells the story of a couple, whose upcoming wedding is being interfered with by a ghost. Read on to find out more about the movie and its cast, and view images taken on the film set.

Haunted Wedding on Hallmark Channel Photo: Cassandra Potenza

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

According to the official synopsis, this last Fall Into Love movie features a ghost who wants to stop a couple from getting married. Jana (Janel Parrish) an

Photo: Dominic Sherwood

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

However, plans go awry when Angelique (Cassandra Potenza), a ghost clad in an 18th-century wedding dress vows to stop it. Now, Jana and Brian will need to work together to save their wedding from disaster.

There is nothing like a Hallmark dream wedding. However, what happens when a wedding is haunted by an eighteenth century ghost? This spooky new romcom is Haunted Wedding and stars Pretty Little Liars alum Janel Parrish and Dominic Sherwood.

This is the final Fall Into Love 2024 movie. Moreover, this is the final premiere before the network goes into full-time Countdown To Christmas mode.

Here are all the details.

Photo: Cassandra Potenza Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman What Is Hallmark’s Haunted Wedding About?

Hallmark has a spooky romcom that promises a lot of fun. This is called Haunted Wedding. In this movie, ghost hunters Jane and Brian are obsessed with anything paranormal. Their shared obsession has them visiting haunted houses. Brian even proposed to Jane in a cool haunted place, and she said yes. They are the perfect couple who share this fascination with all things that are eerie.

Sneak Peek the new “Haunted Wedding” supernatural feature, directed by Jeff Beesley, starring Dominic Sherwood, Janel Parrish, Cassandra Potenza, Paul Essiembre, John B. Lowe, Erik Athavale, Lauren Cochrane, Linda Ko and Chase Winnicky, airing October 12, 2024 on the Hallmark channel:

“…the wedding between ‘ghost’ hunters ‘Jane’ and ‘Brian’ at a haunted inn is disrupted by ‘Angelique’, a ghost who mistakes Brian for her own dead fiancé…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Photo: Brennan Elliott, Lacey Chabert Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Shane Mahood

Summer’s halfway over and it is definitely time to start looking forward to the Fall Into Love programming event on Hallmark Channel. Read on to find out which movies you can expect to watch with popcorn and a pumpkin spice latte on the Feel-Good network.

Hallmark’s Fall Into Love programming event

The following is a brief introduction to the upcoming movies, set to air in Hallmark’s Fall Into Love programming event and the stars that will feature.

His & Her Photo: Brennan Elliott, Lacey Chabert Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Shane Mahood

Starring: Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott

Premiere date: Saturday, September 7, 8 pm Et/Pt

Plot:

High-profile lawyers Dana (Chabert) and Mark (Elliott) are the ideal married couple. However, this is questionable after they find themselves working on opposite sides in a highly public divorce case,...

Hallmark’s Fall Into Love 2024 reunites two fan favorites, Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott. However, this set of Autumnal movies also includes other reunions including Erin Cahill and Wes Brown, as well as Ashley Williams and Paul Campbell. In addition, Jodie Sweetin is paired up with Corey Sevier, and Janel Parrish is part of a Haunted Wedding.

Here is the list.

Jodie Sweetin Hallmark – YouTube Lacey Chabert And Brennan Elliott’s His & Hers Kicks Off Fall Into Love 2024

Kicking off Fall Into Love 2024 is His & Hers on Saturday, September 7, at 8 p.m., Eastern, on the Hallmark Channel. Moreover, this movie stars Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott.

According to Parade, “Married couple Dana and Mark are high-powered lawyers at two separate New York City law firms. They soon find themselves on opposing sides of a messy divorce between two reality stars, Sammy and Brett. When both clients are unable to compromise,...