Development 's
storyboard of the film's original ending Many film news sources believe
Jeepers Creepers was loosely inspired by the case of Dennis DePue. In 1990,
Coldwater, Michigan, siblings Ray and Marie Thornton witnessed DePue, who had already caught their attention after quickly driving past them moments prior, disposing of a blood-soaked blanket behind an abandoned schoolhouse. DePue then tailgated them for two miles, and after he drove off, the siblings returned to the schoolhouse to investigate, finding the blanket and reporting their findings to the police. The murder case and subsequent
manhunt of DePue were featured on an episode of
Unsolved Mysteries on March 20, 1991. The following day, DePue committed suicide during a
shootout with police in Mississippi. The episode's reenactment of events, and details contained throughout, such as a license plate game that the Thorntons played, were deemed similar to the opening scenes of the film. While writer and director
Victor Salva has not confirmed whether the film took inspiration from this case, The script also borrowed elements from
Night of the Living Dead (1968) and
Duel (1971). Salva was inspired by his favorite film,
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), to make a
monster movie, and was influenced by the restraint displayed in the
suspense films of
Alfred Hitchcock, including
The Birds (1963). Some readings of the film found the Creeper to share characteristics with
Norman Bates in
Psycho (1960),
Leatherface in
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and
Buffalo Bill in
The Silence of the Lambs (1991), characters inspired by serial killer
Ed Gein. To conceal his
final girl-styled ending from viewers, Salva employed
red herrings throughout the first act so viewers would think Trish was going to die. His original script also featured a twenty-page third act eventually scrapped during production. The entire sequence was
storyboarded by
Brad Parker in preparation for the shoot but, due to an unforeseen budget cut of $1 million, it had to be removed and rewritten. As a result,
Gina Philips and
Justin Long were allowed to improvise during the third act. The film was one of five to be produced as part of a 1991 agreement between Germany's VCL Films and United Artists to co-finance titles from Coppola's
American Zoetrope, each budgeted at $10 million.
Jeepers Creepers was made years after Salva served prison time (he was released in 1992) for sexually abusing a child actor during the production of
Clownhouse. On working with Salva again, Coppola recalled "Some of the financing for the film fell through. One of the actors resigned when he learned about the case. So I helped Victor [Salva] get the job. I was criticized for it, but my attitude is, he has a talent, and that talent in itself is good. We don't have to embrace the person in believing that their art is a contribution to society."
Casting Auditions took place in
Los Angeles. Salva cast him because of his natural way of portraying fear.
Jonathan Breck auditioned to face his own fears of the horror genre. When asked about his shaven head, Breck told the casting director that the Creeper "wouldn't have hair", before getting the part.
Filming played Trish|alt=Actress Gina Philips grabs the edges of a large pipe; a car can be seen behind her.
Principal photography began around
Central Florida in August 2000, concluding after a period of two months. Opening scenes were shot on the SW 180th Avenue Road in the city of
Dunnellon, with the church used in the film, the now-former St. James Church, being located miles away in Ocala. The diner, "Opper's Diner", was a set built in
Lake Panasoffkee, and a reference to producer Barry Opper. while a now-demolished meatpacking factory in Ocala was used for the finale. Salva called the filming process "grueling" because they had to work during the summer, facing heat waves and high temperatures. Scenes containing the church's pipe were shot using a six-foot pipe outside the church and two pipes in a
sound stage warehouse, where the final scene was shot. Due to the low budget, the art department's cafeteria was also used during filming and only a few fake bodies were made to appear in the Creeper's lair. The Creeper was designed by storyboard artist Brad Parker. Its costume was created by Brian Penikas from Makeup and Monsters while its wings were created by Charles Garcia and digitally rendered by Buddy Gheen, Scott Ramsey, and Bob Morgenroth. ;Track listing ==Release==