Frendo the Clown Has a “Here’s Johnny!” Moment in New ‘Clown In a Cornfield’ Image [Exclusive]
Here’s Frendo! In one month, theatergoers will have their fear of clowns tested with Clown in a Cornfield, the latest from Tucker & Dale vs. Evil filmmaker Eli Craig. The slasher flick marks the director’s first turn behind the camera since his 2017 feature Little Evil and adapts the novel of the same name by Adam Cesare, winner of the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel. It’s also about to introduce a whole new audience to the latest killer clown to haunt our nightmares, Frendo, the mascot of Baypen Corn Syrup and the center of the Founder’s Day celebration in the fictional town of Kettle Springs. Ahead of the film’s May 9 release, we’re excited to include Frendo as part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview event for summer movies with a bit of Jack Nicholson flair.
Our exclusive new Clown in a Cornfield image has Frendo channeling Jack Torrance, wielding a fire ax and reaching through a broken window with a twisted grin on his face as if he’s saying, “Here’s Johnny!” The image fits with the general tone of the film, which embraces classic horror tropes to both comedic and terrifying effect. Co-written by Craig and Carter Blanchard and produced by Smile production company Temple Hill Entertainment, the story primarily centers on Quinn, a teenager who has just moved to the quiet factory town of Kettle Springs with her father in search of a fresh start. Instead of new opportunities, however, they find a community torn apart after the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory, the beating heart of the town and the source of most of its citizens’ livelihood, burned to the ground. Amid the ever-rising tensions between the townsfolk looking for someone to direct their anger at, a sinister figure donning the guise of Frendo steps out from the cornfields to wipe away the town’s burdens by targeting citizens one by one.
While the neighbor vs. neighbor drama is meant to keep the suspense high and keep viewers guessing who the killer behind the makeup is, Craig’s film also has a silly, self-aware side, even when it’s delivering sadistic kills. One sneak peek shared ahead of the release, which you can watch above, shows Frendo toying with an unfortunate jock bench pressing in his garage. Although he initially believes the jack-in-the-box left on his bench is a prank from his friend, he quickly realizes the true horror of the situation when Frendo turns his barbell into a guillotine. Viewers can expect a variety of gleefully gory deaths courtesy of the clown, but the deeper themes are what Craig and Cesare believe make the film stand out from its ’70s inspirations. Speaking to Collider’s Perri Nemiroff during its SXSW debut, Craig emphasized how “There is this generational divide in the world” that Clown in a Cornfield tackles through its teenage and adult characters, while Cesare details how the book and now the adaptation try to paint both sides with flawed brushes in a topical way:
“It was one of those things where the book came out in 2020, and people were like, ‘The title tells you what you’re getting,’ but also you’re getting all these deeper themes about the generational divide that seemed so topical at the time in 2020. People were like, ‘That’s not going to age well.’ I was like, ‘Let’s just see.’ People read the books, people will see the movie, and will come down on a side. They’ll come down on a side of this divide. I thought it was so funny because I’m clearly on the kids’ side, but I think there’s something there that people will be like, ‘Oh, yeah, these kids today!’ And it’s like, ‘Well, it’s not really.'”
Who Are the Stars of ‘Clown in a Cornfield’?
Leading the horror flick is Katie Douglas as Quinn, whom Craig told Nemiroff he specifically fought for after watching and loving her in everything from Ginny & Georgia to Pretty Hard Cases and her roles in Lifetime movies. “In every single one of those, she just plays this grounded, natural, real character,” he said. “I was like, ‘I need her in my movie.'” The rest of the cast is also quite talented, with Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Will Sasso, and Kevin Durand rounding out the bunch. Shudder and RLJE Films will bring the group and their killer clown co-star to theaters after a strong SXSW premiere, where the slasher defined itself as a crowdpleaser with a 92% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Clown in a Cornfield invades theaters on May 9. Check out the exclusive image above and keep checking back throughout the week as we debut exclusive looks at the hottest summer releases.
- Release Date
-
May 9, 2025
- Runtime
-
96 Minutes
- Director
-
Eli Craig
- Writers
-
Eli Craig, Adam Cesare, Carter Blanchard
- Producers
-
Georges Bermann, Wyck Godfrey
-
Aaron Abrams
Dr. Glenn Maybrook
-
Katie Douglas
Quinn Maybrook
-
Carson MacCormac
Cole Hill
-
Cassandra Potenza
Janet Murray
