Eli Roth, the director of flicks such as Hostel and The Green Inferno, is stepping back into the world of horror for Thanksgiving. Some may note that Roth previously directed a trailer for a then-fake movie attached to 2007’s Grindhouse of the same name. But that movie is now becoming a reality more than 15 years later. Thanksgiving has just added its first big star – and an unexpected one at that – in the form of Patrick Dempsey. Yes, as in Grey’s Anatomy and Disney’s Enchanted Patrick Dempsey.
The news comes to us from Deadline, who report that Dempsey is currently in talks to star in the film, which is gearing up for production next month. Roth has been in pre-production on the film for a bit now, which is said to be the reason he had to step away from reshoots on the Borderlands movie he directed, which is due to hit theaters later this year. No word yet on who Dempsey would play, though plot details for that trailer’s feature adaptation have been revealed. For those needing a refresher, here’s the trailer in question.
It’s said in the report that most of the rest of the cast will be filled out with rising stars, but Roth wanted a bigger name front and center. So, how did he land on a guy like Dempsey? Apparently, the filmmaker “thought Dempsey would be perfect given it’s not the typical role you usually see” him play. This is true. The actor’s most recent credits include Disenchanted, a sequel to Enchanted, and the TV series Devils. Though he does have a sizable role in Scream 3 and, going way back, he had a bit part in 1985’s The Stuff. So, not exactly his first rodeo, but it’s been quite some time.
If we’re to assume the story of the feature will mirror the trailer, it looks like we’re in for a slasher flick taking place around Thanksgiving in a town that celebrates the holiday in style every year. What’s kind of remarkable is the fact that Grindhouse, a double feature consisting of Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, flopped badly upon release. Yet, several of the fake trailers, including Hobo With a Shotgun and Machete, have since gone on to become films themselves. If only we could get Edgar Wright to make Don’t…
Spyglass Media, the production company behind last year’s Scream, is producing the film. Roger Birnbaum and Roth are on board as producers, with Jeff Rendel penning the screenplay.
Thanksgiving does not yet have a release date set.
