‘Jennifer’s Body’ Director Karyn Kusama Teases “Fun & Crazy” Sequel

More than 15 years later, Jennifer’s Body continues to pack a punch for its meant viewers, and director Karyn Kusama is grateful for the movie’s cult standing.

After author Diablo Cody expressed curiosity in making a sequel, Deadline spoke with Kusama concerning the “fun and crazy” thought for the follow-up and reminisced about making the unique 2009 comedy horror forward of her reunion with star Megan Fox on the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures‘ screening and Q&A on Saturday, as a part of its “monstrous feminine” Halloween-themed programming.

“I know she’s working on it right now, and I’m very excited to hear what comes of it,” stated Kusama of Cody’s sequel. “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.”

After the unique movie was mis-marketed, along with affected by fallout of the media’s assaults on Fox, Kusama stated she’s “just so grateful that the film managed to find its audience” with its present cult standing. She was significantly flattered by a recurring nod in Prime Video‘s Overcompensating, which featured a cameo from Fox.

“For the part of me that has a healthy ego that I try to keep in check, to have Jennifer’s Body be like the antidote to another classic film that I worship,” stated Kusama. “But the idea that Jennifer’s Body would be somebody’s Godfather, that just tickles me all the way down to my toes.”

Read on for Kusama’s recollections of creating Jennifer’s Body, Pete Wentz‘s audition and the dawn of Kyle Gallner’s “scream king” tenure. Although the Academy Museum’s screening and Q&A is offered out, standby is obtainable.

DEADLINE: Obviously this film was mis-marketed to start with. Tell me what it’s been like seeing this cult following come up through the years. 

KARYN KUSAMA: I’m simply so grateful that the movie managed to search out its viewers, maybe on a unique timeline than any of us may need anticipated or hoped for, however I’m simply so grateful that the work continues to talk to folks. I’m simply so happy by that.

DEADLINE: I used to be curious, did you occur to see that it was talked about in Overcompensating? 

KUSAMA: Yes. For the a part of me that has a wholesome ego that I attempt to preserve in examine, to have Jennifer’s Body be just like the antidote to a different traditional movie that I worship, however the concept that Jennifer’s Body can be someone’s Godfather, that simply tickles me all the way in which right down to my toes. 

DEADLINE: I believe I commented on Instagram just lately that it’s my Citizen Kane. 

KUSAMA: I like that. And I additionally love the truth that the gradual return to the movie by completely different audiences is a lot my expertise with motion pictures as effectively, and so, to form of really feel like I may very well be a part of a kind of teams of movies, that discover its folks over time is so gratifying. 

DEADLINE: Do you keep in mind the way you first grew to become hooked up, while you first learn the script and knew that you simply wished to direct it? 

KUSAMA: I had gotten the script, and I believe I may need been turned off by the title even, and type of delay studying it. And this was earlier than Juno had come out, so I used to be conscious that Diablo Cody was like a brand new voice on the scene, however I wasn’t actually form of conscious of this challenge till I simply determined to dig in and browse it. And the expertise of studying it, to have or not it’s each so humorous, so scary, so form of tragic. All of that lit up for me, a number of the movies I’ve simply liked through the years which might be typically hybrids of various genres, and that I’ve this extremely emotional relationship to. I instantly felt that about Diablo’s script, that I simply noticed a method into it, even with the form of secret language between these two women and the sense of highschool absurdity, which I believe is so actual for thus many individuals. It simply felt very emotionally genuine to me. So, I form of put my title up within the combine. I believe different folks had been assembly on it too. But after I met Diablo and Jason Reitman and Dan Dubiecki and Mason Novick, the producers, I used to be capable of in all probability simply converse to the themes of it as in the event that they had been my themes, and in lots of respects they’re and had been so. Once I bought to fulfill Megan and know that she and I had been gonna get alongside, I used to be on the film. And we moved fairly rapidly truly, now that I give it some thought. 

DEADLINE: Tell me about working with Megan as a result of she is such a tremendous comedic actor, and I really feel prefer it’s terrible how she was handled at the moment.

KUSAMA: Yeah, I imply, I believe that’s type of her secret weapon is she’s actually, actually humorous, and clearly, what’s behind that form of humor is deep intelligence, and so she had each of these issues however was clearly dismissed, attacked, mistrusted one way or the other for not simply type of staying in her place. And I really feel like this function spoke to one thing in her that she will need to have already been type of desirous to flex slightly bit, given how as much as that second she had been handled within the press, and by her skilled colleagues. That will need to have been extremely wounding, and so she introduced this wonderful comedy to the function, however she additionally has a lot pathos, and I liked attending to see her dig into all these type of completely different corners of the character. 

DEADLINE: I additionally love the friendship between Jennifer and Needy. It’s simply such nice driving pressure behind the entire possession plot. Tell me about constructing that friendship and dealing by way of that on the display screen. 

KUSAMA: We auditioned so many fantastic actors for Needy, and it wasn’t till Amanda [Seyfried] got here in that I felt I might perceive the function. She introduced this actually unpredictable rhythm, unbelievable humor, and unbelievable lack of self-importance to the half, which I believe is crucial to Needy, to be each good and humorous but additionally type of self-deprecating. She simply nailed it in that audition. And then I really feel like as quickly as we had been up in Vancouver prepping, she and Megan spent a good period of time collectively. The complete younger solid did truly, and that was simply an effective way for everybody to type of begin. Just being in highschool cliques, primarily, and I’ve a reminiscence of inviting everybody to my resort room on a Friday evening to look at Evil Dead 2, and I ordered pizzas. And it was only a option to have folks far youthful than me, however about to launch into taking part in this set of characters who actually spoke to me on an emotional degree, like in my recollections of highschool. And so to form of see the way in which these relationships developed behind the scenes is as entertaining in my reminiscence as truly making the movie. 

DEADLINE: And there are such a lot of wonderful supporting actors on this: J.Ok. Simmons, Amy Sedaris and Kyle Gallner. Do you’ve got any standout recollections from working with the ensemble?

KUSAMA: There’s so many nice moments, I imply, Kyle to me, introduced one thing so particular to the function of Colin Gray. He actually understood the pretentiousness in a method of that form of man, however I discovered it so touching and so extremely correct, that the self-important goth is simply such an unbelievable type of highschool sort. But he introduced a lot humanity to it. Amy Sedaris, I felt blessed that we bought her, and she or he simply performed the function with this type of distracted, exhausted high quality, that I needed to work to not be cracking up any day she labored. And J.Ok., the identical. He did issues that, like he would get choked up after the hearth and discuss concerning the folks we’d misplaced, and there’s a method that he introduced such a “playing it straight” high quality to absurd materials that you simply simply can’t not snort.

DEADLINE: I additionally love that Kyle, since this film, has grow to be such a scream king in his personal proper. 

KUSAMA: I do know, it’s true. And he’s so good at it. I believe the factor is, he’s only a actually nice actor. And so it’s simply so good when individuals who can form of put their head down and decide to a task simply get to maintain working. And that’s just about everybody in our solid, I really feel like we noticed a very completely different aspect of Adam Brody. In truth, Chris Pratt had a bigger function within the film, but it surely was about form of an ancillary story, so we needed to lower a few of his half down. But I at all times regretted that as a result of I liked watching what he did within the film. It is a very attention-grabbing inhabitants of actually fantastic actors truly. 

DEADLINE: I swear I wore the soundtrack out after I was in highschool. It’s such a very good soundtrack. 

KUSAMA: Oh, I’m so joyful to listen to that. 

DEADLINE: But I do know Adam Brody didn’t truly sing his half, proper? 

KUSAMA: No, we had one other — I imply, he did an excellent job of pretending to, however we discovered one other band that a number of the members might play because the backup band to Adam on stage. So it form of helped create— they wrote that tune “Through the Trees,” and so they did the duvet of Blondie’s “In the Flesh.” And they had been capable of type of deliver sufficient folks on stage who truly knew the tune, that it form of felt prefer it was actually taking place. 

DEADLINE: And did Pete Wentz audition for that half? 

KUSAMA: He did, he did. But I used to be involved, in my reminiscence of it, that it was simply nearly too meta, like an excessive amount of, despite the fact that I doubt it could have felt like stunt casting, it felt that option to me. But the irony was that we ended up working with Fall Out Boy’s label, and it was a pleasant option to type of honor the custom that we had been each celebrating and skewering within the movie. 

DEADLINE: That’s superior. And I like that the Fall Out Boy poster is likely one of the first stuff you see within the film. 

KUSAMA: Totally. I hope Pete has a humorousness about it as a result of it’s all crammed with love.

DEADLINE: And now I couldn’t think about anybody however Adam Brody in that half. 

KUSAMA: Oh yeah, he’s so good in it. 

DEADLINE: What was your favourite scene to direct? Cause there are such a lot of iconic ones, from the deserted pool to the the Melody Lane fireplace. 

KUSAMA: There’s a sequence that’s significantly lengthy, as a result of it’s intertwined and it’s slicing between Colin Gray going to this deserted home to fulfill up with Jennifer, and Needy and Chip having intercourse over at his home. And I at all times felt like that scene, that sequence would work finest if it was all intertwined and intercut. And we kicked it off with a tune by a band that I actually liked known as Screeching Weasel, and so they do an unbelievable cowl of “I Can See Clearly Now.” I knew immediately that I wished that tune, however I additionally knew I wished an homage to Silence of the Lambs, when the senator’s daughter is singing “American Girl” within the automotive. I at all times discovered that such an extremely efficient option to bond along with her earlier than she will get kidnapped in that movie, and held prisoner. And so, I wished to type of honor that scene and see Colin singing on the high of his lungs and simply at his most joyous teenage self earlier than he lands at this deserted, half-finished housing suburb. And so making it and placing these scenes collectively to create that one sequence, that lands in Chip’s inimitable line, “Am I too big?” I simply knew that that was how I form of wished it to work, after which to see it in theaters and simply see how a lot audiences love that second. It was a very enjoyable sequence to place collectively. 

DEADLINE: Yeah, that was undoubtedly one of many funniest line deliveries. I used to be curious, did Diablo wish to be set on fireplace within the one scene? 

KUSAMA: I’m attempting to recollect if— she was our bartender on the Melody Lane bar, however I don’t assume she was allowed to be set on fireplace. Like, even when that was one thing she wished to do, I consider we had a stunt coordinator who was like, “Absolutely not.” So, that didn’t occur. 

DEADLINE: That’s humorous although. I’ve to know, have you ever talked to Diablo about this potential sequel in any respect, or is there any motion? 

KUSAMA: I do know she’s engaged on it proper now, and I’m very excited to listen to what comes of it. I do know a number of the bones of it, so I’m not going to offer something away, but it surely sounds enjoyable and loopy like the primary movie. And I’ve little question that Diablo will do one thing completely unbelievable with it. 

DEADLINE: It additionally just lately got here to my consideration that it was the twenty fifth anniversary of Girlfight. What was it like for you and revisiting that?

KUSAMA: It’s simply so wild as a result of, on the one hand, it seems like possibly it has been 25 years, however then again, it seems like possibly 1 / 4 of that. I can’t account for the way quickly time appears to be passing, however I used to be actually gratified that Criterion wished to launch an version of the movie and that persons are discovering the movie once more that method. I take a look at every of my movies as type of youngsters going off to varsity and as soon as they get to varsity, I type of have to only cross my fingers that they’re gonna be OK. And I believe Girlfight is consultant of one of many motion pictures that was very genuine for me at that second and appears to be doing OK. 

DEADLINE: Do you continue to field in any respect? 

KUSAMA: I don’t, I’ve ruined — I imply, it’s so humorous, I’ve now persistent points with my neck and my shoulder, and it’s all due to boxing. That sport is so unbelievable and wrecks your physique. So, I’m now paying the value for that pastime of mine. 

DEADLINE: I actually do admire you taking the time to speak to me. Like I stated, Jennifer’s Body is such an essential movie to me. 

KUSAMA: I actually, actually admire it, and there’s one thing about folks saying that it’s an essential movie to them, it simply means a lot to me, as a result of I knew, making the movie, that I wished it to be form of exuberant and enjoyable and loopy and have form of a foul angle in a humorous method. And I simply so admire that individuals perceive I used to be attempting to talk to them. It’s cool.