As audiences continue to debate its worth, a new Jeepers Creepers podcast is being launched to explore the horror franchise's infamous history. Launched in 2001, the horror movies have revolved around various protagonists who find themselves the target of a demonic serial killer known as The Creeper. The original Jeepers Creepers movie, led by Justin Long and Gina Philips, scored generally mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office hit, leading to two sequels which received progressively worse reviews, though Jeepers Creepers 2 remains the highest-grossing of the originals.
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The original Jeepers Creepers horror franchise hailed from writer/director Victor Salva, whose infamous past is known to some and led to many boycotting his films out of protest for his criminal history. Following the release of Jeepers Creepers 2, Salva largely fell into obscurity, helming multiple straight-to-video horror movies widely panned by critics until returning for Jeepers Creepers 3, which memorably bombed at the box office in its two-day run and scored nearly universal negative reviews. Though Salva had plans for another film, recent franchise producer Screen Media forged on ahead with a Jeepers Creepers reboot, and now audiences are getting an interesting way to look back on the horror franchise following its arrival.
In honor of the new film's release, Dread Central have announced they are launching a Jeepers Creepers podcast entitled Jeepers Creepers Unseen. The limited series is being described as a "true-crime podcast" that will explore the horror franchise's infamous past, including "contextualizing the harm perpetuated by the creator and taking an honest look at why this property is so important to so many horror fans." The Jeepers Creepers Unseen podcast is set to premiere on October 25.
Despite Salva's own troubled history, the Jeepers Creepers franchise has developed something of a cult following in the 20 years since it launched, with horror genre fans finding enjoyment in the then-modern-day creature feature that offered both a different kind of villain and simple-yet-thrilling formula. The separation of art from artist, a debate that has become more prominent in the wake of the #MeToo Movement, has been a major topic of discussion amongst those who have taken to enjoying the Jeepers Creepers movies. This discussion became more problematic with the subsequent sequels, namely as Jeepers Creepers 3 was slammed for its use of child molestation as a plotline, feeling far too in line with Salva's own prior incarceration for sexual abuse and possession of child pornography in the late '80s.
This controversy has poured over into the release of Jeepers Creepers Reborn, the fourth installment in the horror franchise intended to serve as both a reboot and launch of a new trilogy, should it prove successful. Given the film has received minimal marketing and is only getting a limited three-day theatrical run, it will be interesting to see if these future plans come to fruition. It will also be interesting to see what other infamous events the Jeepers Creepers podcast will unearth, as well as how it may affect the franchise's cult following, when it begins airing on October 25.