Back in 2007, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino released Grindhouse, an incredible cinematic experience/double-feature that far too few people saw in theaters. Other than the films themselves, one of the project's greatest assets were the fake trailers shown before and in between the two features. There was Machete, directed by Robert Rodriguez; Don't, directed by Edgar Wright; Werewolf Women of the S.S., directed by Rob Zombie; and Thanksgiving, directed by Eli Roth. Next week, however, one of those fake trailers, Machete to be specific, will no longer be considered fake, as a full-length film featuring Danny Trejo will rock audiences with Gatling guns-strapped motorcycles and a priest armed with dual shotguns. But it may not be the only Grindhouse commercial making the leap.
I had the chance to sit down with Eli Roth today as he was out promoting The Last Exorcism and he confirmed that a feature-length version of Thanksgiving is currently in the works - though still in the early stages.
I’ve been working on the script with my co-writer, Jeff Rendell, who plays the pilgrim in the trailer. And it’s me imitating Jeff’s voice [for the narration]. But Jeff has been working. I said that his deal is he has to work on the script while I’m promoting The Last Exorcism, and as soon as I’m done in mid-September he’s going to fly to California, we’re going to sit down, and bang out the script.
While Roth did say that both he and Rendell are committed to making the film, he does have some concerns about their working relationship. According to Roth, because he and Rendell have known each other since kindergarten, they "always wind up talking about girls from high school and going on Facebook and screwing around."
As much as I love all of the fake trailers in Grindhouse, from Nicolas Cage playing Fu Manchu in Zombie's to Nick Frost as the cannibal baby in Wright's, Thanksgiving has always been far-and-away my favorite of the group. Moments such as the trampoline knife (big ouchie), and the pilgrim having sex with the human-turkey at the end remained in my head all the way through to the end of Death Proof. Let's all hope that Roth and Rendell can stay focused and get this movie made.
For those unfamiliar with Eli Roth's original Thanksgiving trailer, you can check it out below.
