THE SKINNY: While promoting her Showtime TV series THE UNITED STATES OF TARA at this year’s Winter TCA’s, iF caught up with screenwriter Diablo Cody to find out about her upcoming projects and to talk about the disappointing box office results for last fall’s horror-comedy JENNIFER’S BODY.
As for BREATHERS: A ZOMBIE’S LAMENT, the film is another horror-comedy written by Geoff LaTulippe based on a novel S.G. Browne in which Cody will produce.
“We have a script and I am thrilled with it and hope we can go into production with it soon,” says Cody. “It’s a zombie love story. Zombies are so hot now, but I like to think it’s about the personal side of being a zombie and being ostracized.”
Also on tap for Cody is an adaptation of the popular ‘80s teen novels SWEET VALLEY HIGH.“I just started writing it,” says Cody. “I’m very excited about that. It’s classic ‘80s series of books about these twins Elizabeth and Jessica and it’s going to be set in the ‘80s and true to the source material.”
Last fall, JENNIFER’S BODY starring Megan Fox didn’t necessarily light the box office on fire, but Cody feels it will find its audience now that it’s on DVD.
“I want to believe deep down inside that movie will find its audience,” she says. “At the same time, many of us knew that it wasn’t going to connect which is a terrible thing to say. As much as I love that movie, and I’m incredibly proud of that movie and I will love it forever, I feel it’s very unusual and I don’t think it’s super accessible in a lot of ways. I don’t think it was a typical, mass appeal popcorn horror movie. I think it was more like an art film. I know some people would laugh at that.”
She also feels the marketing of the film excluded, surprisingly, teenage girls, which is a core target audience for most horror films.
“The marketing was a little messed up,” she admits. “It was marketed mostly to boys and I think we could have had a large female audience that was ignored. I have faith. I’m on Twitter and I get a lot of feedback from people all day. The DVD came out and I’ve heard from an avalanche of people saying ‘I didn’t think I would like this movie, and I’ve watched the DVD five times.’ Now I’m thinking, you missed it the first time around and you’re getting your opportunity to enjoy it.”
Source: IF Magazine
