Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is one of the greatest horror comedies in recent memory, and the film’s director has come forward to explain why a sequel hasn’t materialized after all these years. Premiering in 2010 and starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine in the тιтle roles, the film follows a duo of friendly hillbillies who head to a run-down cabin in the woods for a short vacation. Unfortunately, they are mistaken for murderers by some visiting college kids, and soon things devolve into hilariously unnecessary bloodshed.
The indie sensation was written and directed by Eli Craig, and it made a splash at festivals before having a negligible run in theaters. While it was never destined to become a box office sensation, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil was an instant cult hit and amᴀssed a sizable audience through streaming. With its unique approach to horror slapstick, and its affable protagonists, Tucker & Dale had all the makings of a franchise, but it never happened. Now, 15 years after the horror comedy’s debut, Craig is finally shedding some light on why the hillbilly heroes haven’t returned yet.
Eli Craig Says That Tucker & Dale 2 Has Died Many Deaths
The Director Pins Most Of The Blame On Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav
Though there are dozens of reasons for a sequel to never fail, director Eli Craig revealed to Slash Film that Tucker & Dale 2 has “died more deaths than the college kids in ‘Tucker and Dale.“‘ Craig lamented that “so many versions” almost took shape, and he blamed executive oversight for why the film couldn’t get moving. Craig explained, “It really does set us back that people can’t look at the box office, the actual box office, of the movie.” The original film had almost non-existent box office returns, but it was also not a first-run feature.
Craig also explained that a TV series came very close to happening, but was eventually axed by Warner Bros. Discovery head, David Zaslav. The project began development in 2014, but Craig revealed that the controversial executive “just cancelled all production” without explanation.
Read Craig’s full comments about the Tucker & Dale TV series below:
It’s always been a struggle, and then when we do set it up, and we get all the pieces together, it gets killed somehow. We almost did a TV show with it that was on TNT/TBS, and you’ll be happy to know that David Zaslav, the slayer of all cinema [laughs], came in and put the final nail in the coffin for ‘Tucker and Dale’ as we were about to go to series, and just cancelled all production.
The TV show was more like — it’s not going to exist anymore — but it was more like Tucker and Dale, but detectives. Detective Tucker and Dale, like, stupidly trying to figure out what’s happening in a world where they’re always getting it wrong and people are dying around them […] It was Alan and Tyler, and it was…yeah. [Resigned shrug] What can you say?
What This Means For Tucker & Dale 2
The Sequel Likely Won’t Happen Anytime Soon
executives are almost always looking at the bottom line, and Tucker & Dale didn’t have much to show.
Getting sequels made is a tough task, and all the setbacks for Tucker & Dale 2 mean the follow-up may never happen. The film was an instant cult classic, but its box office numbers were quite small because of its extremely limited release. When looking at the viability of a franchise, executives are almost always looking at the bottom line, and Tucker & Dale didn’t have much to show. The film is a streaming hit, but as each year pᴀsses, the financial viability of the property gets lower and lower.
Our Take On Craig’s Comments About Tucker & Dale 2
Craig’s Comments Make Sense Considering Zaslav’s History
While the full behind-the-scenes story of the Tucker & Dale TV show will probably never come out, Craig’s comments ring true when considering David Zaslav’s recent actions. In my memory, there hasn’t been a less popular film/TV executive in the modern era, and that boils down to Zaslav’s penchant for canceling finished products and pulling the plug on anticipated projects. With Warner Bros. Discovery shelving movies like Coyote vs. Acme and Batgirl, it stands to reason that the Tucker & Dale vs Evil TV series would be unnecessarily canned as well.
Coyote vs. Acme has been saved by Ketchup Entertainment and will eventually be released.
