Diablo Cody says she drew inspiration for her latest movie Jennifer’s Body - about a dead cheerleader who returns to kill and eat her classmates - on the struggles and fears of growing up.

“When I started the script, I was thinking about what’s scary to me and I decided, girls are scary! One of the first lines of the movie is ‘Hell is teenagers.’ If you think about all the subgenres of horror - vampires, werewolves, zombies - none of these transformations are as profound as puberty. The experience of becoming an adolescent is horrifying,” the screenwriter said.

Diablo also admitted she drew inspiration from people she knew at school when coming up with her lead character, who is played in the film by Megan Fox.

“Everyone knows the alpha female. She steals your boyfriend and dates the guys you can’t have. So yes, it’s more about getting revenge on that girl than on any of the guys who dumped me,” she explained. “It was about exposing her for the monster she is - and showing how insecure she is. I love the fact that Jennifer has these moments, because that’s the truth of the matter. Those girls, the ones who flaunt their power, are the most insecure.”

Jennifer’s Body is now available on DVD.