Clown in a Cornfield: Eli Craig to direct slasher thriller for Smile producers

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.