Eli Roth On Thanksgiving 2 Delays & Sequel Expectations

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Director Eli Roth recently explained the reason behind the delay of Thanksgiving 2 and gave fans a hint of what’s coming in the sequel. The original Thanksgiving movie was a success, earning $46 million at the box office and receiving positive reviews – it currently has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

A sequel to the movie Thanksgiving was announced soon after the first film came out, with plans to release it in 2025. Now that it’s 2026, director Eli Roth is sharing an update on how the movie is coming along.

Speaking with Todd Gilchrist from ScreenRant about the 4K release of Cabin Fever, the director explained that coordinating the cast has been difficult due to their busy schedules.

The movie Thanksgiving starred Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Milo Manheim, Jenna Warren, and Gabriel Davenport.

It’s been amazing to watch the cast of Thanksgiving blow up! I was so excited to see Brooks pop up with a role on The Pitt, and I can’t wait to check out Verlaque in the new MGM+ series American Classic with Kevin Kline and Laura Linney. But honestly, the biggest surprise is Manheim – I never would have pictured him as Flynn Rider in the live-action Tangled remake, but with Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, it sounds like a really fun pairing!

Rae is currently on a world tour that started in the summer of 2025 and will wrap up in Poland on July 4, 2026.

We were incredibly fortunate to have such a talented cast. They’re all experiencing huge success right now – Jalen was in ‘The Pitt,’ Nell Verlaque is working with Kevin Kline and Laura Linney, and Addison is a pop star with hit albums and award nominations, even embarking on a world tour. Milo Manheim just landed a role in ‘Tangled’ too! It’s wonderful to see them all thriving, but it’s starting to make scheduling things a little difficult.

It’s been challenging to finalize a filming schedule for Thanksgiving 2. Because of this, director Eli Roth is planning to shoot each actor’s scenes whenever they are free. He explained, “I’m figuring out when everyone can come, and we’ll build the schedule around that. If I can get someone for three days, that’s where we’ll shoot their scenes.”

I’m planning to get everything prepared and scheduled as soon as possible, figuring everyone wants to participate. I’ll find a time that works for everyone and make it happen. I’ve already tentatively booked three days, which is great – we can film then. It’ll be a bit tricky coordinating schedules, and it won’t be like our first time where we could all be together the whole time, but everyone really enjoys it. The good news is, it’s already been re-released in theaters twice for Thanksgiving, which is amazing.

The cast of Thanksgiving 2 won’t be able to film together at the same time like they did for the first movie. However, because the original actors want to be in the sequel, director Eli Roth is determined to work around their busy schedules to make it happen.

The movie Thanksgiving revolves around a masked killer who targets people during the holiday, with the killer’s mask based on the historical figure John Carver. Both critics and viewers have praised it as an enjoyable, thrilling film that could become a new holiday tradition.

With Thanksgiving 2, Roth aims to make a sequel that genuinely surprises audiences – and even himself. He wants viewers to say, ‘Wow, that was unexpected!’ He was thrilled with how the first film turned out, because it exceeded his expectations in satisfying ways, and he’s hoping to continue that trend with the sequel.

I try to put myself in the audience’s shoes – what would genuinely surprise and delight me as a moviegoer? I focus on creating moments that are unexpected and satisfying, delivering on expectations in fresh and interesting ways.

Eli Roth is a filmmaker famous for directing horror movies such as Cabin Fever and Hostel. He’s also known as an actor, with roles in films like Inglourious Basterds and The Idol.

Following the 2023 release of Thanksgiving, Eli Roth directed Borderlands, produced the series Fright Krewe, and acted in Night Always Comes. Now, he’s preparing to make another slasher film, Thanksgiving 2, and is committed to reuniting the original cast, even if it requires flexibility with their current commitments.

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2026-01-16 22:10