Children of the Corn (1984 film)

Children of the Corn
Original 1984 theatrical release poster
Directed by	Fritz Kiersch
Screenplay by	George Goldsmith
Based on	"Children of the Corn" by Stephen King
Produced by	Donald P. Borchers Terence Kirby
Starring	Peter Horton Linda Hamilton
Cinematography	João Fernandes (as Raoul Lomas)
Edited by	Harry Keramidas
Music by	Jonathan Elias
Production companies	Angeles Entertainment Group Cinema Group Hal Roach Studios Inverness Productions Planet Productions
Distributed by	New World Pictures
Release date	March 9, 1984 (1984-03-09)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$14.6 million[1]

Children of the Corn (advertised as Stephen King's Children of the Corn) is a 1984 American supernatural horror film based on Stephen King's 1977 short story of the same name. Directed by Fritz Kiersch, the film's cast consists of Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, John Franklin, Courtney Gains, Robby Kiger, Anne Marie McEvoy, Julie Maddalena, and R. G. Armstrong. Set in the fictitious rural town of Gatlin, Nebraska, the film tells the story of a malevolent entity referred to as "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" which entices the town's children to ritually murder all the town's adults, as well as a couple driving across the country, to ensure a successful corn harvest.

King wrote the original draft of the screenplay, which focused more on the characters of Burt and Vicky and depicted more history on the uprising of the children in Gatlin. This script was disregarded in favor of George Goldsmith's screenplay, which featured more violence and a more conventional narrative structure. Filming took place mainly in Iowa, but also in California. It spawned a franchise of films, and it has gained a cult following, inspiring the rap group with the same name.

Children of the Corn was released theatrically on March 9, 1984, to mixed reviews from critics.