Diablo Cody Thinks Viewers Misremember Jennifer’s Body, Says Sequel Is Imminent

Diablo Cody is teasing more details about the forthcoming Jennifer’s Body sequel.Appearing on the October 14 episode of the history podcast Petticoat Revolution, the screenwriter shared her own interpretation of the titular Jennifer Check in the beloved 2009 cult horror-comedy film.When asked whether she intended Jennifer Check, a teenage succubus played by Megan Fox, to be viewed as a “mean girl-turned-monster,” Cody replied, “No, Jennifer is a sympathetic character for me, before and after the transformation. I mean, she is very isolated. She’s very lonely. She’s very insecure.”Cody pointed out that many viewers remember moments when Jennifer is at the peak of her people-eating powers, while ignoring other dimensions of her character. Indeed, Jennifer’s Body — although mismarketed and misperceived upon release as a shallow, titillating exercise in appealing to a “male gaze” — has since been reclaimed as a deeply queer and feminist friendship story about two young women, Jennifer and “Needy” (Amanda Seyfried), navigating the challenges of high school. Case in point: Jennifer is transformed into a succubus in the first place as part of a ritual engineered by a group of young men in a band who lure her into a van.“People forget about these moments in the movie where [Jennifer’s] like a shell of herself,” Cody pointed out on Petticoat Revolution. “Like, she’s exsanguinated almost. And to me, Megan played both of those sides of Jennifer so well.”After years of rumors and anticipation sparked by the critical reevaluation of Jennifer’s Body, a sequel was finally confirmed earlier this year. In July, Dread Central was first to report that Megan Fox would be appearing in the follow-up. Karyn Kusama is reportedly returning to direct the feature, per Deadline. Amanda Seyfried has spoken openly about the project as well.While details of the project remain sparse while in development, Cody did share on Petticoat Revolution that it is b