ComingSoon spoke with Clown in a Cornfield director Eli Craig and stars Katie Douglas and Kevin Durand about the new slasher movie. The trio discussed their characters, some nasty kills, and if a sequel is possible. The film is out in theaters nationwide on May 9, 2025.
“Quinn and her father 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,” says the synopsis of Clown in a Cornfield.
Tyler Treese: Eli, the original novel’s intentions were all about being a modern slasher rather than a throwback. And I felt like you can feel that in this film, and you did a really good job of keeping it modern, but also using the past, like rotary phones and driving stick for juxtaposition, which leads to some really fun moments. How is it just embracing the current day for the film?
Eli Craig: Well, I think that there’s a sense of villainy and brutality in the current day. Even anger. There’s just so much anger out there that I wanted to make a real horror film, but also do it in a light way where there’s also some outlet of humor in it.
To me, this is like a modernized version of the eighties slasher films I grew up with. I loved Scream when I first saw it, and I loved the whole series of movies, so I was trying to honor those and also create a new thing, you know? So I think people will feel vibes of like, oh, eighties slasher vibes in this, which Adam Cesare also just adores. We both kind of grew up watching these films.
But then just add this element of youthful Gen Z teens that are way more aware than my generation was when they were we were kids. And way more plugged into what’s happening in life and social media and everything, and using that to just make a rip-roaring, crazy film that makes people kind of tremble in their seats.
Kevin, every time I see you in a film, even if it’s in a smaller role, you’re always finding something fun to do as an actor and to play into. You’ve got this great voice for Arthur Hill in this film. How is it playing up that small-town, rural aspect of the character?
Kevin Durand: You know, it just kind of fit me like a comfy sweater.
I’m from a rural town, but from up in northern Canada. There’s a lot of familiarity for me with that. But yeah, in terms of the fun aspect of it, it seems like these, these wonderful filmmakers just keep throwing me these awesome bones to chew on. That sounds weird [laughs]. Jesus.
I just keep ending up with these wonderful opportunities with these characters that I feel like I could really flesh out and play and, and you know, great material, whether it’s throughout an entire film or if it’s like a couple scenes here and there, it doesn’t really matter to me because it’s just about the moment that I get to engage and disappear. And that’s where the fun resides.
Katie, it’s such an incredible co-sign from everyone involved for you to be the lead of Clown in a Cornfield. With Quinn, we get to see a little bit of everything from her. We see some tragic backstory. We see hints at a romance at one point. There’s a lot going on here. What about her personality really made you excited to play her?
Katie Douglas: I really loved that Quinn was just kind of right off the bat, she just feels like a normal girl. She is relatable. She’s just trying to fit in. She can be kind of awkward and kind of shy, and she’s thrown into a situation where she’s tasked to put her bravery first and become a total badass. And I think that’s what I read, and that’s what I loved about it. And I like the arc that she takes near the end of it.
You really got the full like screen queen experience in Clown in a Cornfield. You’re being chased, there are action sequences, and there are fun twists. What was the most rewarding overall about doing this film?
Douglas: I mean, I don’t wanna give any spoilers away, but she has one line at the end of the movie where she kind of like, takes back her power. And I shot that scene like, but at the end of our shoot, and it’s just so full of rage, but she’s just saying like a big, like, fuck you to the villains and what they represent. I think that one scene with a cattle prod [laughs] was the scene that was most rewarding for me.
Eli, I wanted to congratulate you on the bench press kill. I thought that was just so dope and fun, and there are some even crazier kills in Clown in a Cornfield that are more spoiler-y, so I won’t even bring those up. I haven’t had a chance to read the novel yet, so what was the process with the kills? Was it a mix of adapted and new kills, or how did that go?
Craig: Yeah, I just kind of thought as long as I stayed true to the themes and the characters in the overall story, that I could kind of embellish in a theatrical way, what I thought would just play best. And so that’s one of the really creative parts for me, where I get to just imagine what would be a gory, horrific way to kill somebody.
Let’s talk about the bench press kill. I cast Alex Deakin, who’s [a] very, very handsome, very shredded, ripped young man, and I thought, “everybody’s gonna like to see this guy get decapitated,” and it’s gonna be just a wild scene, but also get some cheers.
I used to work out, not as much as Kevin does, but I used to work out. There’s always, when you’re not like spotted on bench press and maybe you’re doing one extra rep and you’re just not even sure you’ll get it all the way there, there’s always that moment you’re like, “I could die. Nobody’s here. Nobody will know if the bench just falls down. That’s it for me.”
I’ve always had that in the back of my mind, and then I started with that, but I thought, “How do we elevate it even more?” And I thought even scarier would be if the guy spotting you came over to help, but he wasn’t helping, he was pushing it out. So your arms are shaking, and then he adds a saw blade [laughs]. And that’s when I thought I was onto something. I’d never seen that exactly before. And I do think exactly what happened is what would happen, because sometimes in a horror movie, when you’re like, oh, “Well that wouldn’t happen.” It loses me, but I wanted all of these kills to be like, okay, yeah, that’s probably what would happen in that scenario.
Kevin, we’ve seen you in a lot of really fun horror movies lately. You just work really well in that genre. I loved you and Abigail, and you’re gonna be in the Ready or Not sequel working with Radio Silence again. What is it about this genre that you’re such a good fit?
Durand: Gosh, I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, first off, just the physical attributes that I bring to the table. You know, when I was younger, I was like, “Why am I always bad guy?” I was always wondering that. And then I saw myself in the mirror and I was like, “Oh,” and there’s something that comes along with my size, that I think people see it as intimidating.
That’s why in my real life, I’ve spent all my time trying to be the nicest person that I could possibly be and not scare people. Horror allows me to just lean in to just the other way, which is almost therapeutic for me because I’m fricking tired being nice all the time.
No, but it’s kind of true. I also have another horror film that I finished called Ithaca that I absolutely love as well. It seems like those doors have really opened up, which I’m grateful for because I’m a huge fan of the genre, and because there’s no limits as to where you could go in terms of an actor, a character actor, you know? Yeah. You get to play the extremities of things, which is the most interesting thing to play.
Craig: Sometimes you lose those extremities.
Eli, obviously, there are multiple Clown in a Cornfield books. Are you open to doing a sequel? I think horror fans are really gonna be a fan of this one.
Craig: Adam and I have become good friends on this tour, and I couldn’t think of anything greater than to get to work with him on adapting more. I mean, even if we weren’t doing a sequel I’d wanna work with Adam Cesare again. I’d say that May 9 is time for people to prove whether they want a sequel or not. We’re so lucky to get to play in theaters. It’s what I always dreamed of to have a good solid release in theaters, and this is what I made the film for. But I do think people vote with their tickets with their butts in seats, and if people vote for a sequel on this yeah, let’s go.
Thanks to Katie Douglas, Kevin Durand, and Eli Craig for taking the time to talk about Clown in a Cornfield’s theatrical release.
