If ever there was a horror-comedy that aged like a fine, questionable moonshine, it’s Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. This flick might’ve stumbled out of the gate with a box office limp, but over fifteen years later? It’s carved out a cult following fiercer than a Scorpio on a vendetta. Now, here’s a curious cosmic coincidence: with Mercury currently doing its usual mayhem, stumbling and misfiring, maybe it’s no surprise this beloved gem has faced its own string of cosmic bad breaks—cancelled sequels, dead-on-arrival TV shows, and one too many scripts that “almost were.” Director Eli Craig even notes the real villain here isn’t some mysterious evil but rather David Zaslav, dubbed “the slayer of all cinema”—which sounds like a Capricorn’s ruthless boardroom energy, no? So what’s the deal—will our endearing hillbillies ever escape the cancellation black hole? Or is their fate sealed like some ill-fated astrology chart with Saturn squaring Pluto? Grab your pitchforks and your popcorn because this saga is worth a second look—and maybe a sequel!
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil took a bit to find its audience but is now an absolute fan favorite, bringing a freshness to the horror-comedy genre we hadn’t seen since Shaun of the Dead. While it didn’t do much at the box office, its cult following has built in the 15 years since its release. In fact, there’s so much support that there was once a sequel and a TV show in development. So what happened?
Director Eli Craig (who is currently on the circuit with Clown in a Cornfield) said the true showdown for hillbillies Tucker and Dale wasn’t evil but rather David Zaslav – assuming there’s a difference…). As he told SlashFilm, “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.”
A sequel to Tucker and Dale vs. Evil has been toyed with for quite a while, but has seen numerous stalls throughout the years, getting so far as to have a script written. But at this point, it just doesn’t seem likely to ever happen. “Honestly, Tucker and Dale 2 has died more deaths than the college kids in Tucker and Dale. 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.”
In Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, the titular bumpkins (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) are mistaken for killers by a group of vacationing college kids who keep turning up dead…something Tucker and Dale assume is part of a suicide pact. Believe us when we say that it’s one of the most hilarious horror-comedies ever – so, yes, we want a sequel!
Are you a fan of Tucker and DAle vs. Evil? Do you think a sequel is still worth it? Give us your take below!