Jeepers Creepers: Reborn has a lawsuit and a release date

Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, the fourth entry in the horror series, was announced in February 2021. Horror fans were expecting the movie to arrive later that fall, but it was delayed until 2022. No reason was given, besides being in the post-production process longer than usual. Recently, a massive reason for the film’s lack of release has been discovered, but the director claims The Creeper will finally return this year. This rebirth of the franchise is expected around the Halloween season, since Spring is about to end.

Aiming to set itself apart from series creator, Victor Salva, Jeepers Creepers: Reborn has replaced many aspects of the series. One major change included recasting Jonathan Breck, who is known for his role as The Creeper. Salva had written the fourth film, but his story isn’t being used. This latest entry is expected to pick up 23 years later in the Taggart barn, before shifting focus to our new protagonists, Chase and Laine.

Development of a fourth film was originally reported in 2020 and then shot down by Kirk D’Amico, head of Myriad Pictures, who has produced previous Jeepers Creepers entries. It seemed that a return of the controversial horror character was impossible, but then news of Screen Media distributing the fourth entry arrived last February. Iron Sky director, Timo Vuorensola, will be at the helm, as Screen Media claimed he was the perfect fit for a relaunch of The Creeper. A short teaser arrived late last year after months of silence, but the marketing had been silent ever since.

Multiple cast members were tracked down before any official announcements, including Dee Wallace, who is a legend in the horror genre. Chase and Laine will be played by Sydney Craven and Imran Adams, as they travel to Louisiana for a Horror Hound event and Laine seems to become a target for The Creeper. Jarreau Benjamin is starring as The Creeper, which has some fans skeptical, but open to seeing his performance as the character. Some fans have grown tired of the lack of marketing, but a recent lawsuit discovery has provided some answers on what the hold-up seems to be.

Why has Jeepers Creepers: Reborn been so secretive since its announcement?

Kirk D’Amico’s statements from 2020 may have been truthful after all despite the existence of a fourth film. After news broke of Jeepers Creepers: Reborn arriving in 2021, Myriad Pictures wasted little time filing a lawsuit against Infinity Films, another production company responsible for Jeepers Creepers 3. Myriad Pictures claims to have a contractual right of first negotiation and last refusal for worldwide distribution rights to Jeepers Creepers productions. It is also alleged that Myriad Pictures was left in the dark about the production and filming of Jeepers Creepers: Reborn.

Originally filed in March of 2021, this should add some importance to what Kirk D’Amico had stated a couple of years ago. He is actively involved with this lawsuit against those responsible for Jeepers Creepers: Reborn. Despite this, Vuorensola has taken to Twitter to provide an update on the marketing. Claiming a trailer is being worked on, a release date has been determined, and the lawsuit won’t stop the release.

The film is partnered with Horror Hound, so maybe this is where the film will have its brief release before rushing to VOD. Listings regarding this case point to it carrying on till 2024, which is the year The Creeper is supposed to reawaken ironically. Jeepers Creepers: Reborn might do more harm than good to the series. Even if the film releases in 2022, the likelihood of Infinity Films or Screen Media touching this IP again after this seems unlikely.

When is Jeepers Creepers 4 coming out?

Vuorensola failed to give an exact release date outside of claiming one had been decided on. An announcement is expected in the future, but the director had previously stated he knows as much as the fans do. This was reported to be the start of a new trilogy, but one can assume that the trilogy can’t be completed by the same parties tied up in a legal dispute with Myriad Pictures. Jeepers Creepers 5 would likely be explored through a different party or canceled altogether.

If Jeepers Creepers: Reborn is a good horror film, then that will be a positive for fans that have waited years to see The Creeper reawaken. It seems hard to imagine that an ongoing lawsuit would lead to Jeepers Creepers 5 being produced by Infinity Films once again and then distributed through Screen Media. The monster awakens every 23 years, which is almost the exact time many fans would argue they have waited for a proper sequel.