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My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
Since its release, Jennifer’s Body has become a cult classic within the horror genre. The movie is now viewed as an iconic feminist film that is considered ahead of its time versus when it came out in 2009. The film, starring Megan Fox and directed by Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Yellowjackets), initially fumbled at the box office. Still, thanks to its surge in popularity, a follow-up written by the original film’s screenwriter, Diablo Cody (Juno, Evil Dead), could see a sequel come to light.
Bloody Disgusting’s podcast The Boo Crew sat down with Diablo Cody while doing press for Lisa Frankenstein, a new horror comedy directed by Zelda Williams. The interview has not been released at the time of writing, but it will be available to stream the week of February 9th, when Lisa Frankenstein hits theaters.
The Interview of the Box Office Bomb to Cult Classic
[‘Jennifer’s Body’ has] gotten progressively happier for me. At first I was like, I was excited about it obviously, but I was also a little bit salty because I remember thinking, well where was this audience when the movie came out. It was a critical, commercial failure. I was pretty humiliated to be perfectly honest with you. It was a rough experience having that movie come out. It was rough for me, it was rough for Megan [Fox]… [then] people started suddenly talking about it like it was a good movie, which I had thought all along.
Diablo Cody, via Bloody Disgusting’s Boo Crew Podcast
Initially, Jennifer’s Body made $31.6 million at the box office, just barely missing doubling its $16 million budget. The film also received mixed reviews from critics regarding its acting and tone. Now, the film is viewed in a different light, which Cody even mentions in the interview.
At first I just thought, oh where was this audience when I needed it and then I realized they were like…seven. And then some people who maybe didn’t appreciate it at the time have come around and now I’m just like, there’s no saltiness, now I’m just happy.
Diablo Cody, via Bloody Disgusting’s Boo Crew Podcast
Jennifer’s Body and Role Reversal
Many now respect the film as a feminist revenge story. The plot is centered around a high school cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon that goes on a killing spree centered on the school’s male population. The character of Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) represents women turning around the male gaze on its head as the victims fall prey to the succubus, surviving the aftermath of her gruesome murder. Fox was a perfect cast for this role due to her rise to stardom in the early Transformers films, where she was overly objectified to the male gaze. Now, more stories could be told in this fantastic world of empowerment.
When asked if Cody would return, she shared, “I am not done with Jennifer’s Body. I need to… partner with people who believe it as much as I do, and that hasn’t happened yet.” Sadly, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up because Cody is already working on her next scripted horror film unrelated to the cult classic film. However, hopefully, this interview will spark a desire to reprise the movie or launch a franchise.
Source: Bloody Disgusting
My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
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