Less than three weeks after its release, Eli Roth‘s “Thanksgiving” was greenlit for a sequel. A 2025 release date had been set up. Roth is now giving us an update on its status; the script is ready, several actors will be returning for the sequel (Verlaque, Hoffman, Rae) and filming will take place in March (via IndieWire).
We’re upping the ante but we are not going to do it with more money. That keeps it tight and lean and mean and forces us to make decisions. There’s a lot of setting up that we did in the first one that we don’t have to deal with now. It can just be all pay-off. … I’ve come up with stuff that is going to be a challenge. And I want it to be a challenge to pull off. Because if I’ve come up with the stuff that I think will make the best kills, then I’m going to do it like I’m never going to make another movie again.”
Sony’s TriStar Pictures and Roth’s “Thanksgiving” was produced on a scant $15M budget and grossed $47M worldwide. It was easily the best reviewed film of Roth’s career. (84% on RT). I much preferred 2002’s “Cabin Fever,” still his best work, hell even “Hostel” was better, but that’s just my own humble opinion.
“Thanksgiving” was one of several fake movie trailers that went into Robert Rodriguez and Eli Roth’s 2007 film, “Grindhouse.” Roth had been developing the story into a movie for nearly three decades.