Karyn Kusama is anything but prolific. It took five years after 2000’s Girlfight, her startling debut as a writer-director, for her to make a second movie. And since then, it’s been almost three years. Of course, the fact that her second movie was the appalling Aeon Flux might have had something to do with that, but she’s finally back in the game with today’s announcement that she’s signed on to direct Jennifer’s Body, the Diablo Cody-scripted horror comedy.
With Juno currently ticking boxes as the Little Film That Could at the US box office (and, indeed, it’s an Oscar front-runner), blogger-turned-screenwriter Cody is hotter than Jessica Alba in a sauna. Wearing a parka. So there’s quite a buzz of excitement over her first post-Juno project, and quite rightly too, for it sounds twisted as hell.
We’ve covered it already on these hallowed webpages, but the basic gist is: Megan Fox, of Transformers fame, will play a cheerleader whose perfect life is turned upside down when she’s possessed by a vengeful cannibalistic spirit which compels her to start killing young men who want to get in her pants. Which, given that this is Megan Fox, means it’s just about everybody.
So it’s a horror comedy. Heathers meets Parents, as we put to Cody back at the LFF, a summary with which she readily agreed. And it should be ace. Kusama was perhaps a bit overwhelmed by the size and scope of Aeon Flux, but she should be right at home with Jennifer’s Body. And kudos to Fox Atomic for hiring a female director to helm what is clearly a tale told from a woman’s perspective. Blokes will be involved, though – Juno director Jason Reitman will produce.
Filming begins in early March.