Even though Children of the Corn 2023 has been relentlessly delayed for the past three years, the trailer for the Stephen King adaptation promises that the reboot will fix the original film's worst flaw. The 1984 film Children of the Corn is not one of the best adaptations of Stephen King's works. A slow, blatantly overstuffed adaptation of the short story of the same name, Children of the Corn cuts short the original story's dark ending and, as a result, failed to impress critics. However, Children of the Corn resonated with audiences, spawning eight sequels and a TV movie remake.
While Children of the Corn 2023 may outperform other recent horror films with similar themes, the prequel has one major factor working in its favor. Unlike previous versions of the story, Children of the Corn 2023 will feature the backstory of the titular murder cult. A group of murderous children murdering their parents and everyone else in cold blood in their remote hometown, the Children of the Corn had already formed by the time the original film began. In contrast, Children of the Corn delves into their origins.
Children of the Corn 2023 will finally show the main villain
That being said, it looks like Children of the Corn 2023 will finally fix the biggest problem with the original film adaptation. Based on the final moments of the trailer, the long-delayed reboot will give audiences a direct look at He Who Walks Among the Ranks, which is more than what the 1984 original offered. Much like the Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman, the trailer for Children of the Corn promises a creepy supernatural monster in the 2023 iteration. This creature was absent from the original film, despite the children worshiping the invisible He Who Walks Among the Rows and even attempting to sacrifice the heroes to the mysterious creature.
The final moments of the Children of the Corn 2023 trailer show something reaching out to the heroine from inside a row of corn, although this glimpse doesn't give viewers a glimpse of the monster's appearance. In the original story, "He Who Walks Among the Rows" is never described, but since the story is so short, this is easier to excuse. Moreover, the grisly aftermath of the murder committed by He Who Walks Among the Rows is visible, whereas in the film adaptation, only a line of upturned dirt indicated the presence of the creature (a visual motif unfortunately reminiscent of the gopher from Caddyshack).
Why the missing Children of the Corn villain hurt the film
While Children of the Corn 1984 has many other problems, one of the biggest is the film's inability to portray its titular monster. Having no idea what He Who Walks Among the Rows looks like (other than the strange blue sparks that kill Isaac at the end of the film), Children of the Corn's only antagonist is the eponymous pack of child killers. While they're a little creepy, these kids are hardly a legitimate threat. As a result, Children of the Corn at times slips into almost unintentional comedy—something that the film's 2023 reboot with He Who Walks Among the Rows should avoid.
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