Jeepers Creepers: Reborn! Timo Vuorensola reimagines franchise

Last Updated on August 28, 2023

I've always thought that the creature at the heart of the Jeepers Creepers franchise had what it took to become a new genre icon. Problem was, The Creeper's sequels weren't good enough to boost it to that level, and the character is sullied by its association with franchise creator Victor Salva. Now The Creeper is breaking away from Salva, as Screen Media has announced they will be releasing the franchise reimagining Jeepers Creepers: Reborn in North America sometime in the fall of 2021.

Salva's name doesn't appear anywhere in the press release for this film, which was shot in secret in December and January. Directed by Iron Sky's Timo Vuorensola from a screenplay by Sean Michael Argo, Jeepers Creepers: Reborn has the following synopsis: 

When the Horror Hound festival holds its first ever event in Louisiana, it attracts hundreds of geeks, freaks and die-hard horror fans from far and wide, to howl and celebrate into the night. Among them is love-able fanboy Chase and his devoted sweetheart Laine, who is forced to come along for the ride. But as the event approaches, Laine begins to experience unexplained premonitions and disturbing visions associated with the town's past, and in particular, local legend/urban myth The Creeper. As the festival arrives and the blood-soaked entertainment builds to a frenzy, Laine believes that something unearthly has been summoned… and that she is at the center of it. 

The reimagining was produced by Jake Seal of Orwo Studios & Black Hangar Studios, along with Michael Ohoven of Infinity Films. Screen Media's Seth Needle serves as executive producer, while Screen Media's Creative Executive Conor McAdam is associate producer. Other executive producers are Jamie R. Thompson, Terry Bird, David Nagelberg. Danny Zamost, Michael Musante, Lee Broda, Matthew Kurtain, Karey Kurtain, Alastair Burlingham, Gary Raskin, Elizabeth Primm, Suraj Gohil, Mark Mariani, Janelle Mariani, Galen Rasmussen, and Shannon Chandler.

Jake Seal had this to say about the project: 

With Jeepers Creepers: Reborn we are going back to the basics of what made this horror franchise so indelible: young people, away from home, who find themselves unwittingly stumbling into the hunting grounds of a terrifying creature."

Vuorensola added, 

It was a great opportunity for me to jump into the horror world and get to work with a franchise that has a large following and a great central character, the Creeper. I wanted to find a way to refresh the creature and introduce it to the new audiences of today and together with an amazing cast – we managed to make a story that is fresh, fun and creepy."

Screen Media released the following statement: 

As excited as we are, we know that fans will be even more thrilled (and chilled) to return to the world of the Creeper, now with a much scarier vision from director Timo Vuorensola, who is the perfect fit to restart this franchise."

I'm really glad to hear that The Creeper is back and no longer associated with its creator.

If Jeepers Creepers: Reborn is a success, the plan is for this to be the first installment in a new Jeepers Creepers trilogy.