The 2010 horror comedy “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” has developed a massive cult following over the past 15 years. Director Eli Craig (“Clown in a Cornfield”) has been desperately trying to make a sequel ever since. In a recent interview, he explained why none have come to pass despite the high demand.
Craig says there have been multiple attempts at developing a sequel, but “for one reason or another,” each one fell through.
The film centers around rednecks Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) taking in Allison (Katrina Bowden) after an accident. Due to a huge misunderstanding, Allison’s preppy college friends believe the duo intended to kill her. Her pals’ failed attempts to “rescue” her end up causing more bloodshed than anyone thought possible.
“’Honestly, ‘Tucker & Dale 2’ has died more deaths than the college kids in ‘Tucker & Dale,’” Craig told SlashFilm. “We’ve had so many versions that have almost got off its feet or, for one reason or another, have gotten killed. It really does set us back that people can’t look at the box office, the actual box office, of the movie.”
While “Tucker & Dale” only grossed $223,838 domestically, it raked in $5.24 million worldwide.
“Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil” The Series?
“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,” the director laments. “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 & Dale’ as we were about to go to series, and just canceled all production.”
The spinoff series would have followed the titular characters as “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.”
You can check out Craig’s latest film, “Clown in a Cornfield,” in theaters nationwide. [Writer’s note: his new movie also has a very similar sense of humor to “Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil.” It’s not the same as a sequel by any means, but the vibe is there.]
