Jeepers Creepers (2001 film)

Jeepers Creepers
An eye peers through a stitching of human skin. Above it, the phrase "What's Eating You?", and below, "Jeepers Creepers".
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVictor Salva
Written byVictor Salva
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDon E. FauntLeRoy
Edited byEd Marx
Music byBennett Salvay
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • July 28, 2001 (2001-07-28) (Fantasia)
  • August 31, 2001 (2001-08-31) (United States)
Running time
91 minutes[2]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million
Box office$59.4 million[4]

Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror film written and directed by Victor Salva. It stars Gina Philips and Justin Long as siblings returning home for spring break who encounter a violent truck driver portrayed by Jonathan Breck. The film takes its name from the 1938 song, featured in the film under a version by Paul Whiteman.[5] Patricia Belcher and Eileen Brennan also appear in supporting roles, with Salva making a cameo appearance.

The film was a co-production between the United States and Germany, with United Artists co-financing the American Zoetrope title. It filmed in various towns in Florida starting in August 2000 after Salva convinced the studios to cast Phillips and Long with the help of executive producer Francis Ford Coppola, who had previously financed his 1989 directorial debut. Due to unforeseen budget cuts, Salva rewrote the third act during production.

The film was theatrically released by United Artists and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on August 31, 2001. It was a commercial success, grossing $59 million on a $10 million budget, despite mixed reviews from critics praising the first half over the second. It spawned a media franchise that includes two sequels and a reboot.

  1. ^ "VCL planning linkup with unnamed partner". Variety. August 27, 2001. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Jeepers Creepers". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Jeepers Creepers". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "Jeepers Creepers". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  5. ^ White, Jeanette (December 8, 2020). "10 Innocent Songs Ruined by Horror Movies". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.