It has been sixteen years since Eli Roth unleashed a slasher faux trailer titled Thanksgiving as part of the Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino double feature Grindhouse. Fast forward to today, and it’s hard to believe that two years have already passed since the feature-length adaptation of Thanksgiving premiered in theatres. This film now finds itself showcased in an episode of our Revisited series, which can be viewed in the embedded video above.
Roth’s ambitions for a feature version of Thanksgiving stretch as far back as the original trailer’s release. He collaborated with Jeff Rendell, who portrayed the murderous pilgrim in the trailer, to pen the screenplay over a decade ago. The project finally gained traction when Spyglass Media stepped in to provide the necessary funding, allowing Roth to seize the opportunity, despite Tim Miller, known for Deadpool, taking over as director during the reshoots for the film adaptation of Borderlands.
The film was produced by Roth and Rendell in conjunction with Roger Birnbaum. Spyglass chairman and CEO Gary Barber, along with president of production Peter Oillataguerre, served as executive producers, joined by Kate Harrison and Greg Denny from Cream Productions Inc. Oillataguerre and Chris Stone, Senior Vice President of Production & Development, supervised the project for Spyglass, with Caellum Allan and Kelseigh Coombs overseeing it for TriStar.
Audiences familiar with the original Thanksgiving trailer will have a solid idea of its plot. The story unfolds in Plymouth, Massachusetts—the historical home of Thanksgiving—where a mysterious killer, inspired by the holiday, wreaks havoc following a tragic Black Friday riot.
The film boasts a star-studded cast that includes Nell Verlaque from Big Shot, Rick Hoffman of Hostel fame, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Milo Manheim, Gina Gershon, comedian Tim Dillon, Gabriel Davenport, Tomaso Sanelli, and Jenna Warren.
The episode of Revisited dedicated to Thanksgiving was crafted by Tyler Nichols, who wrote, edited, and narrated the piece, while John Fallon and Nichols produced it, with Berge Garabedian serving as the executive producer.
We encourage readers to share their thoughts on Thanksgiving by leaving a comment below. For those interested in exploring more episodes from the series, previous installments can be found below, and fans are invited to subscribe to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel for more horror-related content. The ongoing evolution of horror films, especially during holiday seasons, continues to captivate audiences, reflecting our innate attraction to thrilling and chilling tales.