Jason Reitman to Handle ‘Jennifer’s Body’

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 13, 2007

With their well-buzzed flick Juno only a few weeks away from finally releasing to wider audiences, director Jason Reitman and stripper turned Indie uber-scribe Diablo Cody are back in bed again, this time for the comedic horror flick Jennifer’s Body.

According to Latino Review, Reitman and producing partner Dan Dubiecki have come aboard to produce the project for Fox Atomic.

“We’re here because Diablo’s voice and our voice align,” Dubiecki told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Body” is the story of a cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. Her “plain Jane” best friend must find a way to kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshiping rock band responsible for the transformation. And if that doesn’t scream “OSCAR!”, I don’t know what does.

Reitman and Dubiecki will produce the film under their Hard C moniker, which was built off the success of the runaway hit Thank You for Smoking. Hard C is currently also developing Bonzai Shadowhands with Rainn Wilson for Fox Searchlight.

“Comedy and horror have always been inescapable cousins,” Reitman told THR. “They both draw a similar type of storyteller, one who wants to manipulate the audience. Whether you want to make an audience laugh or you want to make an audience freak out, you’re looking for a similar firsthand relationship with the viewer where you are pushing them to react.

“We want to make unusual films, and anything that turns a genre on its ear interests Dan and I,” he added. “And if you look at ‘Bonzai,’ ‘Juno’ and ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ they bring a new voice to genres people are very aware of.”

All in all, I can’t help but get a little bit excited about Jennifer’s Body. While I have not yet seen Juno (screening Thursday! Woohoo!) I absolutely loved Thank You For Smoking. In my book, Reitman can do very little wrong. Add to that the sexy siren that is lined up to play the lead role in “Jennifer” and we’ve got ourselves some buzz. Jennifer’s Body is being sized up for a late-winter shoot.

Just in case you forgot which sexy siren is taking the lead on “Body”, may I present the lovely Megan Fox.

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