Diablo Cody Writing 'Jennifer's Body' Sequel, Karyn Kusama Says

Over 15 years after a disastrous theatrical run, Jennifer's Body is likely getting a sequel.

Director Karyn Kusama recently confirmed that screenwriter Diablo Cody is actively working on the follow-up, and based on her excitement, the project might capture the same chaotic energy that turned the original into an unlikely feminist horror classic.

"I know she's working on it right now, and I'm very excited to hear what comes of it," Kusama said in a recent interview with Deadline. "I know some of the bones of it, so I'm not going to give anything away, but it sounds fun and crazy like the first film. And I have no doubt that Diablo will do something absolutely incredible with it."

Jennifer's Body follows two high school friends, one of whom is possessed after a rock band performs a violent ritual on her. She returns from the dead with a new lust for the blood of boys, leaving her friend Needy picking up the body parts.

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The timing feels right for a return to Devil's Kettle, Minnesota.

When the film premiered in 2009, it barely grossed $31 million worldwide on a modest $16 million budget.

Critics dismissed it as tonally confused, not sure what to make of its quirky dialogue and themes, and audiences mostly stayed away.

The studio marketed the film almost exclusively on Megan Fox's sex appeal, pitching it to young men despite Kusama and Cody creating something intended for more diverse audiences.

There's a famous TIFF presser in which Fox tried to frame the film correctly, despite what the studio was pushing.

"If I were to use my talking points from the studio, I would call it a 'sexy thriller with a wicked sense of humor,'" she said with some sarcasm. "But I think that it's a comedy with horror elements, but it's not a frightening, scary movie."

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That disconnect between intention and execution doomed the film at the box office.

Over the past decade and a half, Jennifer's Body has undergone a cultural reassessment and is now a cult favorite.

What once seemed like camp now reads as pointed commentary on female friendship, bodily autonomy, and the exploitation of women. The film's queer subtext shines.

The sequel chatter has been building for months. Amanda Seyfried teased the project at a Toronto screening of her film Seven Veils earlier this year, telling fans with pointed winking, "I think we're making another one."

She later told Variety that Fox's involvement is non-negotiable, saying, "I'm not doing it without her."

Kusama's involvement remains unclear, though her awareness of the script's development is promising. She hasn't directed a feature since 2018's Destroyer, spending recent years as an executive producer on Yellowjackets.

The challenge for any sequel will be navigating changed expectations. In 2009, a film this overtly interested in female rage and toxic friendship felt alien to many viewers. Today, those themes are more familiar in contemporary horror.

Not to mention, Jennifer technically died in the first film, and Needy was institutionalized with newfound supernatural powers. But resurrecting a horror baddie is rarely an issue, so we'll just have to see.

Let us know if you'd watch the sequel.