The 2001 horror hit Jeepers Creepers introduced fans to The Creeper, a terrifying monster that harvests and eat the organs of human beings. While the Jeepers Creepers franchise has never managed to hit the heights of the first film again, it's important to remember just how popular that film was once upon a time. Upon its 2001 release, Jeepers Creepers earned nearly $60 million on a budget of $10 million, making for quite the return on investment, despite middling reviews from critics.
Jeepers Creepers 2 was also a box office success, although it's never been quite as appreciated by horror fans. The most recent sequel, Jeepers Creepers 3, only got a limited theatrical release, but still managed to haul in a healthy $4 million in ticket sales. It would seem there's still hunger for more Jeepers Creepers from some, although the permanent controversy surrounding franchise writer/director Victor Salva - a convicted sex offender - will likely preclude a fourth film from happening.
Salva's personal behavior aside, there are many people content to enjoy the Jeepers Creepers movies solely for what they are, films meant to thrill and scare. Tasked with doing said thrilling and scaring is antagonist The Creeper, played by Jonathan Breck in all three installments. However, The Creeper isn't just a rampaging monster, he actually has some rules to follow.
The Creeper is an ancient monster, and from far away it can sometimes be mistaken for a person, thanks to the coat, hat, pants - and sometimes - boots ensemble it wears to blend in when hunting. Once up close though, it's clear The Creeper is far from human, although it does have some humanoid qualities, and would appear to be the male of its species, assuming there are any more like it. Exactly when The Creeper was born, or exactly what it is - many believe it to be a demon of some kind - remain unclear, but a deleted scene from Jeepers Creepers 2 confirms that the monster has at least been around and claiming victims since medieval times.
Taking that idea further, licensed Jeepers Creepers comic books reveal that The Creeper participated in a human sacrifice during the time of the Aztecs, and that it was actually responsible for the infamous disappearance of settlers from America's Roanoke colony in the late 1500s. As for how The Creeper operates, it thankfully mostly lives in hibernation, coming out only every 23rd spring, and hunting for 23 days.
To sustain itself, The Creeper needs to harvest organs from humans, and use them to replace whatever happens to be failing inside its own body. This cycle has clearly been going on for centuries, and while The Creeper has been challenged many times, he seems to be nearly impossible to kill. He's also quite intelligent, as revealed when he's shown to be able to speak English in a deleted scene from the first Jeepers Creepers. It remains to be seen if The Creeper will ever be truly defeated, but the odds don't seem good.
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