The sequel to Jennifer’s Body could make Megan Fox’s boy-eating demon even more tragic, with writer Diablo Cody promising to dig deeper into the loneliness and pain behind Jennifer’s monstrous transformation.
Cody recently discussed the upcoming follow-up on the Petticoat Revolution podcast, revealing that the new movie gave her another opportunity to explore the character’s more vulnerable side. While Jennifer is remembered for her confidence and terrifying appetite, Cody believes there has always been a much sadder person underneath the demon.
“Jennifer is a sympathetic character for me, before and after the transformation,” Cody explained. “I mean, she is very isolated, she’s very lonely, she’s very insecure.”
Those qualities can get lost when people remember Jennifer at her most powerful. Cody pointed out that audiences tend to recall the character declaring, “I am a god,” rather than the moments when she appears physically and emotionally drained. She praised Fox for capturing both sides of Jennifer, from her frightening confidence to the shell of a person left behind after her transformation.
Cody now has another chance to explore that side of the character in Jennifer’s Body 2, which she described as happening “imminently.” She stopped short of revealing plot details, but said the sequel allowed her to examine why Jennifer deserves sympathy and what she has endured.
“There is absolutely, to me, a loneliness and a poignancy to that character that people don’t always recognize,” Cody said.
That could be an interesting direction for a sequel to a movie whose central character became famous for devouring teenage boys. Jennifer was never exactly an innocent victim, but her transformation began with a betrayal that left her trapped in a monstrous existence. The original film also made her relationship with her best friend, Needy, a central part of the story, giving Jennifer a life beyond her supernatural appetite.
Released in 2009, Jennifer’s Body follows Jennifer Check, a popular high school student whose attempted sacrifice by a devil-worshipping band goes horribly wrong. The botched ritual turns her into a succubus who feeds on boys, while her best friend Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried, struggles to understand what has happened to her.
The film was written by Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. Although it failed to make a major impression at the box office when it first arrived, Jennifer’s Body has developed a devoted following over the years. Its mixture of horror, dark comedy, female friendship, and sharp teenage angst has helped it find a new audience.
Cody is developing the sequel for 20th Century Studios, and Kusama has already expressed enthusiasm about what might come next. Speaking to Deadline last year, the director said she knew some of the story’s “bones” but wasn’t going to reveal anything. She described the project as sounding “fun and crazy like the first film” and said she had no doubt Cody would do something incredible with it.
Fox and Seyfried have both expressed interest in returning, although the details of their involvement have not been confirmed in the information released so far.
Cody’s latest comments don’t reveal whether Jennifer will become any less dangerous in the sequel. Instead, they suggest the movie may spend more time with the loneliness that existed before and after her transformation. Jennifer can be a killer and a victim at the same time, and the sequel seems interested in exploring that uncomfortable contradiction.
If Cody can pull it off, Jennifer’s Body 2 may give audiences a reason to look at Jennifer differently without asking them to forget what she did. After all, being a literal monster doesn’t mean a person has no humanity left.
