Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Unveiled: Latest Updates on Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and More for the Holiday Slasher
Get ready for a terrifying holiday experience with Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' This slasher film will leave you breathless as the stuffing is scared right out of you Experience the release date, cast, trailer, plot, creative team, and more in this thrilling horror flick Don't miss out!
Since its creation in 2007 as a mock trailer for the film Grindhouse, Eli Roth has eagerly awaited the perfect opportunity to transform it into a full-length feature. The original trailer is teeming with cringe-worthy puns, outrageously cheesy kill scenes, and characteristic body reveals that have become synonymous with Eli Roth's style. Roth's directorial career began with the release of Cabin Fever in 2002, a film he co-wrote with his college roommate during the late 90s. Following the success of Hostel in 2005, Roth's name became indelibly associated with the gritty slasher subgenre of horror films. He was subsequently included in a group of independent directors recognized as "The Splat Pack," known for creating graphically violent movies on a limited budget. In addition to his prowess in writing and directing, Roth has showcased his acting talents in nearly all of his films, with his memorable portrayal of Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds earning him a Critics Choice Movie Award. Finally, after almost two decades, Thanksgiving, based on the faux trailer, is becoming a reality. In anticipation of the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, this article aims to provide you with all the essential information about Thanksgiving before its release. Let us give thanks for the meat and indulge together!
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on October 25, 2023.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Release Date
Image via TriStar Pictures
Thanksgiving will come a little early this year, with a theatrical release on November 17, 2023.
The slasher film will face tough competition, with the YA prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Taika Waititi's sports comedy Next Goal Wins, and DreamWorks' animated sequel Trolls Band Together vying for attention.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' on Streaming
Image via TriStar Pictures
Thanksgiving is set to debut exclusively in theaters, with plans for a digital release still under wraps. Considering the recent trend of movies transitioning rapidly from the big screen to video-on-demand, it's highly probable that Thanksgiving will be available for streaming on our television screens before Christmas or the start of the New Year.
We also know that the film will eventually be streamable on Netflix, thanks to a deal that was made between Sony Pictures and the streaming service in April 2021. This agreement grants Netflix the rights to stream recent films from Sony Pictures after their theatrical and exclusive VOD releases. Some of the recent Sony titles that have already arrived on Netflix include The Pope's Exorcist, The Machine, and No Hard Feelings.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Trailers
The official teaser trailer for Thanksgiving was released on September 9, 2023, giving genre fans their first real good look at Eli Roth's first horror movie in a decade.
The highly anticipated red-band trailer for Thanksgiving, filled with creative holiday-themed kills, was unveiled by Sony Pictures on October 4, 2023. This was succeeded by a subsequent teaser for Thanksgiving on October 19, which you can watch below.
On October 25, a featurette was released showcasing Eli Roth discussing the inspirations behind the film, such as Scream and Halloween, and giving glimpses of the film's impressive kills. Watch the featurette below.
The original trailer from 2007, with a duration of slightly over 2 minutes, can be viewed within the Grindhouse movie or below.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Plot
Image via TriStar Pictures
Set in the Thanksgiving-obsessed town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, this film unveils a chilling tale. The atmosphere is festive, the table is meticulously arranged, but an unexpected guest disrupts the celebrations. Little do the residents know, a relentless serial killer has descended upon the town, determined to eliminate as many victims as possible. The burning question remains: why? What dark connection does Thanksgiving hold for this unhinged murderer? In typical Roth fashion, the answer might lie in the unconventional motivations of a man driven by a fervent desire to champion the rights of animals destined for slaughter.
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the holiday, a tragic Black Friday riot sparks the arrival of a menacing killer with Thanksgiving-themed motives. Targeting residents with calculated precision, the initial acts of revenge soon unveil a more chilling holiday scheme. As the town fights to unmask the killer and stay alive during the holidays, they face the unsettling possibility of becoming unwilling participants at the murderer's twisted holiday feast.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Cast
Image via TriStar Pictures
Patrick Dempsey, known for his role in Grey's Anatomy, has been confirmed to play the town sheriff in the upcoming movie. Joining him is Addison Rae, best known for her TikTok account and singing, who is now making the transition to the big screens. Rae was last seen in the 2021 Netflix film He's All That as Padgett Sawyer.
The cast also includes Gina Gershon from Emily The Criminal, Milo Manheim from Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3, Jalen Thomas Brooks from Walker, Nell Verlaque from Big Shot, and Rick Hoffman from Hostel. Stand-up comedian Tim Dillon, Gabriel Davenport from Hotel for the Holidays, Tomaso Sanelli from Titans, Jenna Warren from My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, and Karen Cliche from Galentine's Day Nightmare round out the star-studded lineup.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Creative Team
Eli Roth, known for his work on films such as Cabin Fever, is directing a holiday-themed slasher called Thanksgiving. He started writing the script with Jeff Rendell back in 2010. Roth and Rendell are also serving as producers, alongside Roger Birnbaum. Gary Barber, Peter Oillataguerre, Greg Denny, Kate Harrison Karman, and Chris Stone are the project's executive producers.
In a 2016 AMA on Reddit, Roth revealed that the script was still in production and required additional work to meet the expectations set by the trailer. Speculations and rumors about the development of the film have been circulating since then. However, it was recently confirmed at the beginning of this year that the movie is now in production, with Spyglass Media Group taking on the production duties. Roth, who was initially involved in directing the Borderlands adaptation with Craig Mazin, stepped aside to focus on the holiday-themed slasher.
Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Photo Gallery
Please find below a collection of images showcasing Thanksgiving. The gallery comprises various stills featuring Addison Rae, Patrick Dempsey, and Nell Verlaque, who are the stars of the film. Additionally, you will come across an image capturing a Thanksgiving parade, a spectacle that Grindhouse enthusiasts will undoubtedly recognize.
