RLJE FILMS AND SHUDDER SNAG U.S. RIGHTS TO ELI CRAIG’S SLASHER THRILLER ‘CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD’
BASED ON THE AWARD-WINNING HORROR NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME AND FROM PRODUCERS OF BOX OFFICE HIT ‘SMILE’
‘CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD’ WILL HAVE A WIDE THEATRICAL RELEASE ON MAY 9, 2025
RLJE Films and Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced today that they have snagged the U.S. rights to Eli Craig’s (TUCKER & DAVE VS. EVIL, LITTLE EVIL) CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, based on the Bram Stoker Award-winning horror novel by Adam Cesare. From Temple Hill Entertainment, the production team behind smash hit SMILE, the film stars Katie Douglas (GINNY & GEORGIA), Carson MacCormac (SHAZAM!), Aaron Abrams (HANNIBAL), Will Sasso (THE THREE STOOGES), and Kevin Durand (ABIGAIL). RLJE Films will release the film wide theatrically on May 9, 2025.
Adapted to a screenplay by Carter Blanchard and Craig, 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.
“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,” said RLJE Films’ Chief Acquisition Officer Mark Ward.
Said Director Eli Craig, “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.”
HarperCollins published Cesare’s novel ‘Clown in Cornfield’ in 2020, followed by the second book in the franchise, ‘Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives’ in 2022. ‘Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo,’ had its debut in August 2024 and has since become a USA Today Bestseller.
CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD is produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer for Temple Hill and Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas for Rhea Films, and executive produced by Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work and Kostas Tsoukalas for Rhea Films, Petersen Harris and George Berman for Temple Hill, Dave Bishop and George Hamilton for Protagonist Pictures, Daniel Bekerman for Scythia Films Inc., Myron John Tataryn for Thundersnow Pictures, and Carter Blanchard. The film is a Rhea Films Production as well as a Temple Hill Production and was financed by Hercules Film Fund.
The deal was negotiated by Mark Ward on behalf of RLJE Films and Shudder and Hal Sadoff and Lina Marrone on behalf of the filmmakers. International rights are being handled by Protagonist Pictures.
About RLJE Films
AMC Networks’ RLJE Films is a distribution company whose releases include the Nicolas Cage phenomenon MANDY from Panos Cosmatos, S. Craig Zahler’s BONE TOMAHAWK starring Kurt Russell, and David Ayer’s action-packed THE TAX COLLECTOR. Recent films include Benjamin Brewer’s creature feature ARCADIAN, CHILDREN OF THE CORN, a chilling re-telling for a whole new generation from director Kurt Wimmer, Claudio Fäh’s high-concept shark thriller NO WAY UP, and John Stalberg Jr.’s MUZZLE.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ Shudder stands as the leading curatorial voice and cultural destination for genre entertainment, delivering an unparalleled selection of horror, thrillers, and the supernatural. With an ever-expanding library of films, TV series, and exclusive Originals, Shudder is accessible across most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Shudder releases approximately thirty films per year, and has redefined genre streaming with a slate of groundbreaking and critically acclaimed titles, including Rob Savage’s HOST, Jayro Bustamante’s Golden Globe-nominated LA LLORONA, Phil Tippett’s MAD GOD, Coralie Fargeat’s REVENGE, Kyle Edward Ball’s SKINAMARINK, Christian Tafdrup’s SPEAK NO EVIL, Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER, Demián Rugna’s WHEN EVIL LURKS, and the latest installment in the V/H/S franchise. Shudder also boasts fan-favorite series such as the two-time Emmy Award-nominated THE BOULET BROTHERS’ DRAGULA, Greg Nicotero’s CREEPSHOW, and THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS. Notable 2024 releases include Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s THE DEVIL’S BATH, Chris Nash’s IN A VIOLENT NATURE, Sébastien Vaniček’s INFESTED, Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, Damian McCarthy’s ODDITY, and Robert Morgan’s STOPMOTION.
About Temple Hill Entertainment
Temple Hill Entertainment was founded in 2006 by Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen. Together, they’ve produced a number of successful film franchises, notably THE TWILIGHT SAGA and THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy, as well as THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, FATHERHOOD, THE HATE U GIVE, LOVE, SIMON, FIRST MAN, and the recent horror hits, SMILE and SMILE 2. On TV, they have produced the hit ABC series, Revenge, which ran for 89 episodes, as well as Dave which is currently airing its 3rd season on FX, and Stephen King adaptations, The Outsider and Mr. Mercedes. Bowen and Godfrey are joined by President of Film Isaac Klausner, EVP of Development John Fischer, and SVP of Development Laura Quicksilver as a collective of producers, consistently releasing multiple feature films each year.
About Hercules Film Fund and Rhea Films
Hercules Film Fund and Rhea Films have financed and produced several motion pictures, including AMERICAN MADE (directed by Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise, released worldwide by Universal), GOOD TIME (directed by the Safdie Brothers, starring Robert Pattinson, released by A24), A SIMPLE FAVOR (directed by Paul Feig, starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, released worldwide by Lionsgate), UNICORN STORE (starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Brie herself, released by Netflix), I AM MOTHER (directed by Grant Sputore, starring Hilary Swank and Rose Byrne, released by Netflix), BRUISED (directed by and starring Halle Berry, released by Netflix) and DADDIO (written and directed by Christy Hall, starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, released by Sony Pictures Classics).
