Uh-oh! Creeper fans are definitely devastated over the latest update regarding the highly anticipated sequel of the “Jeepers Creepers” franchise. According to the reports, the special double screening of “Jeepers Creepers 3” and its 2001 predecessor was officially canceled due to protests fears.

The cancellation came a week after the reports claiming the film was about to finish its post-production stage. Even though the film has yet to reveal any distribution plan, it has scheduled a one-night release even on Sept. 26 via Fathom Events.

Cancellation

The special double screening event for “Jeepers Creepers 3” scheduled on Sept. 13 at the TLC Chinese 6 Theatres in Los Angeles was officially canceled and those who already have bought their tickets will be refunded, Horror-Movies CA reported. Based on the official statement released by Fandango (via HorrorFreakNews), the cancellation was due to “events beyond our control.”

The statement also included an apology for the inconvenience the cancellation caused. In order to make up for it, Fandango is offering ticket buyers free passes, which can be redeemed at the box office.

Even though the statement provided a vague reason, many fans and experts were quick to conclude that the cancellation may be due to the looming protests over Victor Salva’s child molestation past.

Salva’s dark past

The recent screening cancellation, however, is not the only setback faced by the classic horror film franchise. In fact, the third installment of the film was met with several challenges including the cancellation of the film’s casting call in Canada, financial difficulties and Salva’s child molestation scandal, as previously reported.

According to Yahoo! Movies, Salva’s continued employment in the movie industry has caused widespread controversy, especially after he was found guilty of sexually molesting 12-year-old actor Nathan Forrest Winters on the set of the 1988 film, “Clownhouse.” Details of the charges revealed that the molestation happened several times and Salva even recorded one of the incidents.

Furthermore, Salva was convicted for several charges including oral copulation with a minor, procuring a child for pornography, and lewd and lascivious conduct. He was sentenced to a three-year imprisonment but only served 15 months of jail time.

Winters’ statement

Even though Winters’ name has long been dragged due to the child molestation controversy, the former child actor stressed that he had nothing to do with the cancellation of the upcoming “Jeepers Creepers 3” screening. In a statement posted by Dread Central, Winters expressed his “sincerest gratitude” for the support he received, saying they were “humbled.”

Winters, however, added that it is the choice of the viewing public if they wanted to support or boycott Salva’s upcoming film.

He also highlighted that they do not mean to retaliate for what Salva had done in the past but to tell the truth only, which will be depicted in the 2019 documentary titled, “The Babysitter.”

‘Jeepers Creepers 3’

Meanwhile, previous reports claimed that the sequel will premiere this September. Unfortunately, there are some major changes and Fansided learned that the sequel is not “officially debuting for months.” The online publication added the film’s official release isn’t wide and is only set for a one-night limited screening on Sept. 26.

Further delay for the film’s release is also expected since the movie producers are not keen to collaborate with a studio for distribution. In fact, the producers plan to roll out independently.

The third installment features actors Jonathan Breck, Gina Phillips, Meg Foster, Ray Wise and Jon Powell. The film will depict the dark origins of the infamous and mythical winged corn field creature known as the Creeper.
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