Clown in a Cornfield’s new trailer proves we’re in a killer clown renaissance

Murderous clowns have quite the reputation, but with the rare exception of Pennywise in It and It Chapter Two, they’ve haven’t made much of a splash in mainstream horror over the last several years. But the massive success of Art the Clown’s bloody exploits seems to be turning things around. The latest painted face to arrive at the party is Frendo the clown, the grinning murderer at the center of Clown in a Cornfield. The latest trailer for Clown in a Cornfield was released on Thursday, and it already seems like Frendo is ready to take his place in the pantheon of terrifying movie clowns.

The story follows a teenage girl named Quinn, who moves to a small town that’s been slowly decaying ever since the local corn syrup factory got shut down. But if things were bad before, the arrival of a mysterious clown that’s suddenly killing off all the teenagers in town makes them a whole lot worse. The trailer itself doesn’t get much into the story of the film, and is instead more focused on Frendo’s bloody and brutal kills, which seem delightfully frightening.

Clown in a Cornfield is based on an incredibly fun 2020 novel of the same name by Adam Cesare. The story feels reminiscent of ’80s teen slashers, but filtered through a more modern lens that makes the whole thing feel like a welcome update to the genre rather than an obnoxious wink.

The film is directed by Tucker & Dale vs. Evil director Eli Craig and stars Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Kevin Durand (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), and Will Sasso (How I Met Your Mother). Clown in a Cornfield is set for release in theaters on May 9, and will stream on Shudder sometime after that.