The Thanksgiving dinner table is about to get a lot bloodier with the announcement that Jalen Thomas Brooks (Walker) and Nell Verlaque (Big Shot) have signed on to star in Eli Roth’s upcoming horror film, Thanksgiving. The movie originated as a faux trailer in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse back in 2007, but now, 16 years later, Roth is ready to turn it into a full-length feature.
Although Brooks and Verlaque are being billed as the stars of Thanksgiving, sources say that the film will have quite a large cast, many of whom will likely end up on the Thanksgiving table. Joining the cast in a supporting role is Addison Rae (He’s All That), while Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy) is in final talks to play the sheriff.
Plot details for the film are being kept under wraps, but it’s said to center around “a slasher who comes to a small Massachusetts town with the intention of ‘creating a Thanksgiving carving board out of the town’s inhabitants.’” Roth will direct Thanksgiving from a script he co-wrote with Jeff Rendell, who played the killer in the Grindhouse trailer. Production is set to begin next month in Toronto.
This isn’t the only project Roth has in the works, as he recently helmed the live-action adaptation of Gearbox Software’s best-selling Borderlands video game franchise. The movie stars Cate Blanchett as Lilith, an infamous treasure hunter with a mysterious past who reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Edgar Ramirez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Alongside Blanchett, the film features a star-studded cast, including Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black.
Despite the ongoing Borderlands reshoots, Roth has decided to put his energy into Thanksgiving, handing the reins over to Deadpool director Tim Miller. With both projects in the works, it’s clear that Roth is a busy man, but fans are eagerly anticipating the release of both films. Thanksgiving is sure to bring the gore and horror that Roth is known for, so horror enthusiasts, get ready to add it to your list of must-see movies!
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