“Every 23rd Spring, for 23 days,” the creature in the most commercially successful movie ever filmed in Ocala gets to “eat.” Tuesday marked the beginning of the “23rd Spring” since the movie’s release in 2001.
Earlier this month, multiple fans shared the line from the popular movie, which was filmed in various parts of Marion County.
The film follows the lives of two siblings who are traveling home from college through the Florida countryside for spring break.
The line is stated by actress Patricia Belcher, who plays psychic “Jezelle Gay Hartman” in the film.
Throughout the movie, the character warns the protagonists about the “Creeper,” a creature that eats human body parts in order to have the functions of those body parts.
“Every 23rd Spring, for 23 days, it gets to…eat,” says Hartman. When asked by “Darry,” who is portrayed by actor Justin Long, what that means, Hartman rebuts.
“You know what it eats, and don’t you make me tell you,” says Hartman in the film.
Production of Jeepers Creepers began in August 2000, with primary filming taking place over two months in Ocala, Reddick, Dunnellon, and Lake Panasoffkee, among other parts of Florida
Upon its release, Jeepers Creepers was a huge commercial success, grossing over $59 million on a budget of $10 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. The film has spawned at least three sequels in the years since its release, with a fifth installment in the works.
Do you have memories of the filming of the movie in Marion County? Share your experiences and photos with us.