Diablo Cody Teases a More ‘Sympathetic’ Jennifer in the ‘Jennifer’s Body’ Sequel

Diablo Cody has offered a new update on the long-discussed sequel to Jennifer’s Body, saying the film is moving ahead “imminently” and will take a more sympathetic view of its central character. The screenwriter spoke about the project on the “Petticoat Revolution” podcast, in comments reported by Deadline and TheWrap in mid-October 2026.

The 2009 original starred Megan Fox as Jennifer, a high-school cheerleader who is possessed by a demon and begins killing her male classmates, and Amanda Seyfried as her friend Needy. Written by Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, the film was largely panned on release but later found a devoted audience and became a cult favorite. A follow-up has been rumored for years, and Seyfried hinted in March 2025 that one was in the works.

A different angle on Jennifer

In the podcast interview, Cody said she had always seen Jennifer as a sympathetic figure, both before and after the possession that turns her into a killer. “She’s very isolated. She’s very lonely. She’s very insecure,” Cody said. She noted that audiences tend to remember Jennifer at her most powerful, but forget the moments when she appears hollowed out.

Cody praised Fox’s performance for capturing both sides of the character, and said the sequel would explore more of why Jennifer deserves sympathy and what she has endured. “I can’t talk about it too much, but you know, we’re doing a sequel to this movie like, imminently,” she said. She added that there is “a loneliness and a poignancy to that character that people don’t always recognize.”

A cult classic’s long afterlife

Cody has spoken before about how painful the film’s initial reception was. In a 2024 interview with TheWrap, she said the movie meant everything to her and that it was “not understood” when it came out. She described the criticism as feeling like an attack not just on the film but on those who made it, including Fox, who was a frequent target of tabloid coverage at the time.

The reversal in the film’s reputation has been striking. Over the years, critics and fans have revisited Jennifer’s Body and praised its mixture of horror and comedy, its treatment of friendship and its sharp take on how young women are treated by the culture around them. That reappraisal is part of what has kept talk of a sequel alive.

What the sequel could look like

Cody’s comments suggest the new film would lean into the interior life of its monster rather than simply repeat the first movie’s formula. That approach would mark a departure from the 2009 original, in which Jennifer’s transformation is largely seen from the outside, and it fits a broader trend of horror sequels that reframe earlier villains as more complicated figures.

No release date, cast confirmation or production timeline has been announced, and the project’s status is best described as in development. Still, Cody’s language was more concrete than the hints that have circulated for years, and it is the clearest sign yet that a sequel is actively moving forward. For fans who spent more than a decade arguing that the original deserved better, the news is a reminder of how far the film’s reputation has traveled since 2009.

Sources

Deadline, “Diablo Cody Teases ‘Jennifer’s Body 2’ Explores More ‘Sympathetic’ Jennifer”; and TheWrap, “Diablo Cody Shares Update on ‘Jennifer’s Body 2’” (October 2026).