Clown in a Cornfield (2025)

[samlop10]

Clown in a Cornfield

A fading midwestern town in which Frendo the clown, a symbol of bygone success, reemerges as a terrifying scourge.

Based on the novel by Adam Cesare and directed by Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil).

Rated R for bloody horror violence, language throughout and teen drinking.

RLJE Films and Shudder have snapped up U.S. rights to Clown in a Cornfield, a new horror thriller from Eli Craig, who directed the cult horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. Produced by Temple Hill, the team behind Paramount’s Smile films, pic will get a wide release via RLJE on May 9, 2025.

Based on the Bram Stoker Award-winning horror novel by Adam Cesare, Clown in a Cornfield follows Quinn (Douglas) and her father (Abrams), 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.

https://deadline.com/2024/11/clown-i...er-1236185674/

Read the first two novels and they’re very solid teen slashers. They definitely have their caveats (a relationship comes out of nowhere ay the end of the first one and becomes a central plot point in the second one), but they’re good horror/thrillers and Cesare definitely has a good sense of the genre. They also explore some interesting ideas that ‘elevate’ them beyond just schlocky slashers (as fun as those can be). The choice in director is curious though as the novels are 100% serious without the humor of something like Tucker and Dale vs Evil (same director). Currently reading the third one and so far it is the strongest one in the series.

Will be curious to see how this one turns out.

Red Band Trailer (NSFW):

Clown In A Cornfield | Meet Frendo | In Theaters May 9 - YouTube

In theaters May 9.

[HorrorBlu]

Enjoyed the first two books, need to pick up the third.

I was hoping we'd get the movie in time for Halloween, but if we are they are cutting it close (no trailer or promotion yet).

[u2popmofo]

Originally Posted by HorrorBlu

Enjoyed the first two books, need to pick up the third.

Looking forward to seeing a film adaptation. I'm not expecting it to release soon based on Cesare's vague comments about it on a recent stream he did on his Youtube channel. I too am a bit surprised by the director choice, I haven't particularly found anything in the series to be "funny" either.

I should finish the new one (Church of Frendo) later today, haven't loved it. Cesare took a big swing in a new direction, but it unfortunately hasn't worked for me anywhere near as well as the other two did. Still entertaining though, maybe I'll change my tune when I get to the end. I hope he takes a bit of a breather from the series and writes some other books next, I really like his books (Video Night, Summer Job, Exponential, etc.).

[rooboy78]

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

Looking forward to seeing a film adaptation. I'm not expecting it to release soon based on Cesare's vague comments about it on a recent stream he did on his Youtube channel. I too am a bit surprised by the director choice, I haven't particularly found anything in the series to be "funny" either.

I should finish the new one (Church of Frendo) later today, haven't loved it. Cesare took a big swing in a new direction, but it unfortunately hasn't worked for me anywhere near as well as the other two did. Still entertaining though, maybe I'll change my tune when I get to the end. I hope he takes a bit of a breather from the series and writes some other books next, I really like his books (Video Night, Summer Job, Exponential, etc.).

What did he say? They filmed this last year so I assumed it would be released this fall in some capacity.

[HorrorBlu]

I'm going to save the third book for October, the first two were perfect autumn reads.

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

I hope he takes a bit of a breather from the series and writes some other books next, I really like his books (Video Night, Summer Job, Exponential, etc.).

This doesn't bode well for me, as the Clown books are his only ones I have read that I've loved. The Con Season was a fun but slight read, but I didn't care for The Summer Job much at all. I do still have Video Night and Tribesmen, I just never got around to them.

I didn't love Last Night At Terrace Lanes either (free on Tubi for anyone curious), but it was kind of similar to Clown in a way...

[u2popmofo]

Originally Posted by rooboy78

What did he say? They filmed this last year so I assumed it would be released this fall in some capacity.

Here's the stream. He gets asked about the movie multiple times, watching again he does actually say there will be news "very soon" (check around the 58:50 mark).

https://www.youtube.com/live/4NZmW-b...k-C7LZ2ToZpBWi

[ghostsofjoy]

I am very much looking forward to this movie. I hadn’t heard anything about this in a long while but he wrote of being on set for the filming in the Acknowledgements of the Church of Frendo and I got excited!

I adore the first two novels — actually re-read them before the third delivered last Tuesday — but I finished Church of Frendo last night and did not love it. There were some fantastic moments and I respect what Cesare was going for but overall, it just didn’t work as well for me.

[u2popmofo]

Originally Posted by HorrorBlu

This doesn't bode well for me, as the Clown books are his only ones I have read that I've loved. The Con Season was a fun but slight read, but I didn't care for The Summer Job much at all. I do still have Video Night and Tribesmen, I just never got around to them.

I didn't love Last Night At Terrace Lanes either (free on Tubi for anyone curious), but it was kind of similar to Clown in a way...

I thought Video Night and Exponential (a mix of The Blob and The Thing) were both a lot of fun.

I didn't like Last Night at Terrace Lanes much either, but that was likely more to do with the direction, acting, and obvious low budget than with the writing itself.

This reminds me I have his comic / graphic novel, Dead Mall, still sitting on my coffee table to read!

[HorrorBlu]

Book 3: The Church Of Frendo just dropped from $19.99 to $15.99 on Amazon.

[Spencer_Kain92]

Really like the first book so looking forward to this. Will read the next two this Fall

[OceanBlue]

Didn't know about Clown in a Cornfield until this week, when I read a news article on Scream magazine's website (nothing yet about a release date):

https://www.screamhorrormag.com/movi...ners-r-rating/

[Zivouhr]

I wonder if this has a similar style as Night of the Scarecrow? But instead of a scarecrow, it's an evil clow in the cornfield? Probably nothing similar about them other than the cornfield and horror.

I wonder how a clown got into a cornfield. I'd have to read the book or see a trailer. Maybe around Halloween or if he was hired to host a party and then something bad happened to the clown.

[u2popmofo]

https://deadline.com/2024/11/clown-i...er-1236185674/

May 9th, 2025 in theaters. RLJE & Shudder have the rights.

[u2popmofo]

Red Band teaser Trailer:

Clown In A Cornfield - Official Red Band Teaser Trailer (2025) Katie Douglas, Carson MacCormac - YouTube

[rooboy78]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

The one above this says it's "age restricted" and only available on YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNuItl4_Bfs

This book was really fun and the movie looks fun too. It’s just a no frills slasher with tons of death and we need more of these.

[OceanBlue]

Have watched the teaser trailer (on the IMDb main page for the film). Looks very good with the small US town setting, but will reserve judgement until I see details about the film closer to release

[Show spoiler](noticed a chainsaw in one clip).

[BeastCreatureTrapper]

I tried the book and gave up not even a quarter of the way through, which is rare for me as I will finish nearly any book started. It's YA and came across, in the first few chapters at least, as just a collection of the usual cliches inherent to the youthful angst and "drama!" of said proceedings.

I'm sure it ramps up the hijinks, to some extent, as it progresses, but I could never get on board with the main character nor the supporting cast around her.

[samlop10]

Premiering at SXSW today here in Austin. We might see some reviews shortly.

[samlop10]

First review:

https://screenrant.com/clown-in-a-co...right%20timing.

[samlop10]

Few more:

https://deadline.com/2025/03/clown-i...sw-1236312251/

https://butwhytho.net/2025/03/clown-...eview-slasher/

https://www.starburstmagazine.com/re...n-a-cornfield/

https://aiptcomics.com/2025/03/11/sx...miliar-horror/