RLJE Films and Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror and thriller content, have secured U.S. distribution rights to Eli Craig’s Clown in a Cornfield. Based on the Bram Stoker Award-winning novel by Adam Cesare, the film is set for a wide theatrical release on May 9, 2025.

Produced by Temple Hill Entertainment, the team behind Smile, the film stars Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Carson MacCormac (Shazam!), Aaron Abrams (Hannibal), Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and Kevin Durand (Abigail). The screenplay, adapted by Carter Blanchard and Eli Craig, brings Cesare’s harrowing tale of small-town unrest and masked terror to life.

Clown in a Cornfield follows Quinn (Douglas) and her father (Abrams) as they move to Kettle Springs, a struggling town fractured by the loss of its iconic Baypen Corn Syrup Factory. Amid community tensions, the arrival of a malevolent figure named Frendo the clown turns the town’s discord into a deadly game of survival.

Eli Craig, known for blending horror with comedic elements in films like Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Little Evil, describes the adaptation as “insanely fun,” balancing action, horror, and comedy. Mark Ward, RLJE Films’ Chief Acquisition Officer, called it a “harrowing, savage, heart-pounding adaptation.”

Cesare’s novel Clown in a Cornfield has expanded into a series, with sequels Clown in a Cornfield II: Frendo Lives (2022) and Clown in a Cornfield III: The Church of Frendo (2024). The books have earned critical acclaim, with the latest installment becoming a USA Today bestseller.

The film is a collaboration between Temple Hill, Rhea Films, and other production companies, financed by Hercules Film Fund. Protagonist Pictures manages international rights, and RLJE Films and Shudder will oversee U.S. distribution.