For over a decade, the cult classic horror-comedy Jennifer's Body has been in talks for a reboot of some kind. On the same side as many of her fans, Megan Fox would like to see the film continue its story in some way as well. Although released in 2009, the film has gained a huge cult following and deserves recognition in 2021.
When asked about the film during an interview with The Washington Post, Fox called Jennifer’s Body "iconic" and said that she still loves it to this day. Fox even stated that she believes that the film would make a great TV series in 2021. Although the film received mixed reviews and only grossed $31.6 million upon its release, Jennifer's Body has since been applauded for its satiric comedy with a feminist message, as well as underlying LGBTQ+ themes throughout the film. In today’s climate with the general discourse so aware of the LGBTQ+ community and upheaval in conventional thought, the show would not only be accepted, it would be reflective and welcomed.
Jennifer’s Body was directed by Karyn Kusama from a script by Diablo Cody. The film tells the story of Jennifer Check (Fox), a popular high school cheerleader who is kidnapped and used in a failed sacrificial ritual, which ultimately turns her into a demonic soul who lusts for the blood of her male schoolmates. This sounded like a typical vampire horror film to many, with even critic Roger Ebert calling it “Twilight for boys”.
This wasn’t what the cast and crew were trying to convey to viewers at all though. When the film originally was announced in 2009, the main focus of the entire marketing campaign was on Fox’s sex appeal, even though that had nothing to do with the actual premise of the film. Jennifer’s Body was not a film that was made for a young male audience, it was made for girls.
Although Fox claims that everyone involved in the making of Jennifer’s Body knew what type of film they were going for with underlying feminist and queer themes, critics and the audience reviewed it horribly. Fox is still extremely proud of the work she, Kusama, Cody, and Amanda Seyfried did on Jennifer's Body, claiming that's why she hasn’t made a horror movie since 2009, up until her most recent film, Till Death: “I didn’t want to do that movie an injustice by doing something that was similar but not as good.”
There are many reasons why Jennifer’s Body deserves a TV series reboot, especially in 2021. Although the success rate for horror film reboots is low, Jennifer’s Body was ahead of its time and the topics discussed could easily be on TV today. Jennifer’s Body used the horror-comedy genre to discuss topics that were taboo in 2009, including violence against women, not accepting sexual stereotypes, toxic masculinity, among more. It was extremely important to both Kusama and Cody that the film have a female perspective.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Cody stated, “I wrote it for girls. If a guy wrote a movie with the line ‘hell is a teenage girl,’ I would reject that. But I’m allowed to say it because I was one.” With the director, writer, and star of the film all being women, it gave them permission to delve deep into the darker sides of female friendship. Both Kusama and Cody were concerned that the young female audience would miss the message Jennifer’s Body was giving entirely, while young men would be confused as to why there wasn’t as much sex as promised.
For Kusama and Cody, they were most upset with how critics and audiences viewed the scene in which Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer make out. Cody wanted this scene to showcase Needy's romantic and sexual connection to Jennifer, but this is not the way that many received it. Although this scene appeared to be an obvious intimate moment between two girls, many critics, including women, criticized the scene.
Critics viewed the moment as just a steamy scene with no real reason for it, including critic Stephanie Zacharek, who called it a “gratuitous lesbo makeout session.” If there were a show in 2021 surrounding this, there might not be as much confusion surrounding this topic. Cody even stated that if the film were made today, audiences might understand the subtext.
Many reboots and remakes of films and shows are being more inclusive, with even the confirmation that one of the parents in the upcoming Rugrat’s reboot will be gay. If a 90s children's show can do this and be accepted, there is no reason that if a Jennifer’s Body reboot happened, an actual relationship between Needy and Jennifer wouldn’t be accepted.
Some may think that Jennifer’s Body, even with the important themes, is just not a good horror movie. Some view it as just another dumb vampire with a hot female lead for boys to lust over. No matter what anyone thinks though, what has stayed a true statement is that Jennifer’s Body made a huge impact on horror films. If it were released 10 years later, it would’ve had a different outcome. Talking about “banned” topics is now admired, people’s conversations have evolved, and the entertainment industry has changed with the times as well. It is disappointing that it took over a decade for audiences to finally grasp the obvious themes, but these types of things always appear to happen too late.