Eli Craig’s Clown in a Cornfield is the best of both worlds, and the exact type of film he enjoys making. “What I really like to tell is a story that you don't have to think about the themes at all, but if you do, it actually is pretty deep.” The upcoming RLJE and Shudder release is just that. Clown in a Cornfield is a plain old good time at the theater watching a slasher movie-scenario unfold, but it also rocks a sharp mythology that has a lot to say about the very real generational divide occurring right now.
Based on the first book of the Adam Cesare-penned series, Clown in a Cornfield stars Katie Douglas as Quinn Maybrook, a teenager who moves to Kettle Springs with her father, Aaron Abrams’ Dr. Glenn Maybrook. Adjusting to a new town is tough, but Quinn manages to make some fast friends. The trouble is, the town sheriff, Will Sasso’s Sheriff Dunne, has it out for that group of kids. Dr. Maybrook insists Quinn heed the Sheriff’s warning and stay home, but she defies dear old dad and sneaks out for a party in the cornfield. It’s a good time until their late-night escape from their fractured community gets a party crasher, the local Baypen Corn Syrup Factory mascot-turned-serial killer, Frendo the Clown.
With Clown in a Cornfield revving up for its big screen release on May 9th, Collider had the honor of hosting an exclusive preview of the film at WonderCon 2025. Yours truly had the pleasure of moderating a conversation with Craig, Douglas, Abrams, and Sasso to give the Anaheim crowd an early tease of the film. Now, it’s time for everyone to get a taste of what’s to come when Frendo terrorizes the big screen via this video of the full panel!
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