‘Cotton Eye Joe’ Aims to Turn the Classic Folk Song into a Gory Slasher Movie [Trailer]

What if “Cotton Eye Joe” wasn’t just a party anthem, but instead a bloody slasher movie? That’s the question filmmaker Nick Merola aims to answer with his movie Cotton Eye Joe.

The filmmaker, who recently directed killer Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween-themed ads for G Fuel, has taken to Kickstarter to bring his Cotton Eye Joe dreams to life.

The fundraiser explains, “In partnership with South James Productions, Cotton Eye Joe will be Nick Merola’s first feature, based on an original script also written by Nick, and Co-Written by Brandon Weavil (Dolly). The film reimagines the folklore behind the infamous tune as a backwoods slasher dripping with blood, dark humor, and practical effects.

“Shot as a traditional horror feature, with elements of comedy sprinkled throughout, Cotton Eye Joe promises to be a thrill ride designed to make audiences laugh, scream and squirm.”

Here’s the plot synopsis for upcoming horror movie Cotton Eye Joe: “When four friends break down on a deserted country road, they seek refuge on a remote farm, only to awaken the brutal legend of Cotton Eye Joe, a relentless killer tied to the land’s dark past. As night falls, survival becomes a desperate game of cat and mouse in this backwoods slasher.”

“We’ve all heard ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ at weddings and baseball games, but have you ever wondered who he really was?” Merola said in a statement posted to the Kickstarter page. “This is my love letter to classic horror — built with heart, humor, and blood by the gallon.”

The team is looking to raise $100,000 to bring Cotton Eye Joe to the screen with practical kills, and Merola has even put together a trailer with test footage to help whet your appetite.

Watch below and head over to Kickstarter to help fund Cotton Eye Joe: the horror movie!