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Thanksgiving 2 is still happening and the script is almost done, Eli Roth says
Director Eli Roth has confirmed that a sequel to his 2023 slasher film Thanksgiving is still in development, with the script now nearly finished. Speaking to Polygon during promotion for his new film Ice Cream Man, Roth explained that the main obstacle is no longer the writing but coordinating the schedules of a cast that has become significantly busier since the original film's release.
Roth said he plans to sit down with Thanksgiving writer Jeff Rendell after Ice Cream Man's cinema release on 7 August to complete one final pass of the script before locking it in. He noted that unlike the first film, where the cast could be assembled for four consecutive weeks, he will now need to work around individual actors' commitments, bringing them together only for the specific scenes each is needed for. Thanksgiving originated as a fake trailer in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's 2007 Grindhouse and became a full feature in 2023; it is currently available on Hulu and Disney Plus.
In short
- Thanksgiving 2's script is nearly finished, Eli Roth says
- Main hurdle now is scheduling the cast, not writing
- Roth to finalise script with writer Jeff Rendell after Ice Cream Man's August release
Explained simply
Thanksgiving is a slasher horror film that was released in 2023, but its origins go back further. It started as a brief fake trailer made for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's 2007 film Grindhouse, before being expanded into a full-length film sixteen years later.
Eli Roth is a prominent horror director known for films including Hostel and Cabin Fever. He directed the Thanksgiving film and is also developing its sequel, overseeing the writing process alongside screenwriter Jeff Rendell.
The original Thanksgiving found an audience when it was released and became available on streaming platforms, which has led to interest in continuing the story. A sequel could appeal to both existing fans of the first film and new viewers discovering the franchise through streaming services.