Shudder’s Surprise $10 Million Horror Hit Finally Gets a Sequel Update From Its Director

Earlier this year, Shudder released its latest horror hit, Clown in a Cornfield. The film, which stars Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, and Kevin Durand, earned a Certified Fresh 73% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 58% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter. However, the film grossed $10 million at the box office against an exceptionally modest $1 million budget, making it a major financial hit despite only earning $10 million.

With a script by Eli Craig and Carter Blanchard, Clown in a Cornfield is based on one of many famous novels by Adam Cesare. Speaking about the future of the franchise at San Diego Comic-Con, writer/director Eli Craig was asked if he was interested in a potential sequel based on another novel from Cesare. He admitted that the ball is in AMC and Shudder’s court, but he confirmed that there is interest on his side:

“Let AMC reach out to me, and let Shudder make the decision if they want to do the sequel. But I think we’re in a really good place if we end up doing the sequels. The books are a lot of fun, Quinn’s a great character, and Rust and Cole are just great characters to follow. And seeing Frendo here, I don’t know. I mean, would you want to see more Frendo?”

Clown in a Cornfield director Eli Craig made his feature debut 15 years ago with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, the R-rated buddy comedy starring Alan Tudyk (Creature Commandos) and Tyler Labine (New Amsterdam), which is currently streaming on Hulu and Prime Video. He followed that seven years later with Little Evil, which features a star-studded cast led by Evangeline Lilly (Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Adam Scott (Severance). That film is streaming exclusively on Netflix. Craig’s other projects in the works include Bride and Doom and Reptile Dysfunction, but few details are known about each. Clown in a Cornfield is not currently on streaming, but the film is available to rent or purchase on VOD. It’s even on sale for $5.99 right now.

One ‘Clown in a Cornfield’ Star Is a Franchise Veteran

Clown in a Cornfield star Kevin Durand has his name stamped on several major franchises, including Marvel and Planet of the Apes. Durand can be seen as Fred Dukes, aka The Blob, in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and although Deadpool & Wolverine brought back many former Fox X-Men stars, Durand was not one of them. Last year, Durand starred as the villainous Proximus Caesar in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is set long after the events of Matt Reeves‘ Planet of the Apes movies. Durand has also been tapped to star opposite Shawn Hatosy (The Pitt) and Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings) in Ready or Not: Here I Come, coming to theaters on April 10, 2026.

Stay tuned to Collider, where we’ll be the first to report the news of any potential Clown in a Cornfield sequel.