RLJE Films and Shudder, the premium streaming service from AMC Networks known for its exclusive horror content, have just released the first official trailer for Clown in a Cornfield. Directed by Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Little Evil), this film is an adaptation of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning horror novel of the same name.
Produced by Temple Hill Entertainment—the team behind the hit thriller Smile—Clown in a Cornfield stars Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes).
The screenplay, written by Carter Blanchard and Craig, follows Quinn (Douglas) and her father (Abrams) as they move to the small town of Kettle Springs, hoping for a fresh start. However, they quickly find that the town is far from peaceful. Having been economically devastated after the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down, the community is fractured, and tensions are running high. As these tensions escalate, a dark, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields—Frendo the Clown—intent on delivering a bloody reckoning to the troubled town, one victim at a time.
The Clown in a Cornfield franchise has found immense success since the release of the original novel in 2020, which was met with widespread acclaim. HarperCollins quickly followed up with Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives in 2022, and just this past August 2024, Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo debuted, becoming a USA Today Bestseller.
Mark Ward, Chief Acquisition Officer for RLJE Films, shared his excitement about the project: “Adam Cesare’s Clown series has been on our radar for a while, and we’re thrilled to bring Eli Craig’s gripping, intense adaptation to the big screen in 2025.”
The film is 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. It 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. The film was financed by Hercules Film Fund and is both a Temple Hill and Rhea Films production.
Protagonist Pictures is handling the international rights, with the deal negotiated by Mark Ward on behalf of RLJE Films and Shudder, and by Hal Sadoff and Lina Marrone on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film will have its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on March 10, 2025, before being released theatrically nationwide on May 9, 2025.
