Today, May 30, marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the Backwoods Slasher movie. wrong turnAnd to celebrate, Entertainment Weekly has published an article that looks back at the making of the film, from the real-life moment that inspired Alan B. McElroy to write the script (he and his wife were stuck in a winter traffic jam and decided to take a side road detour) through the hiring of Rob Schmidt to direct the film (he chose it over a hellraiser sequel), the cast of assassins, and the tricks Stan Winston’s special effects team pulled on the set. The article also nods to the five sequels that followed, and to the 2021 reboot, which was also written by McElroy. While being interviewed, McElroy mentioned that he hopes to make two sequels to the reboot.
Directed by Mike P. Nelson, 2021 wrong turn had the following synopsis: Backwoods terror and constant suspense meet when Jen (Charlotte Vega) and a group of friends hike the Appalachian Trail. Despite warnings to follow the trail, the hikers veer off the trail and cross into the land inhabited by The Foundation, a hidden community of mountain dwellers who use deadly means to protect their way of life. Suddenly under siege, Jen and her friends seem to be heading to the point of no return, unless Jen’s father (Golden Globe nominee Matthew Modine) can catch up with them in time.
The reboot came about because McElroy had been in contact with an executive at Constantin Film, the company that provided much of the original film’s budget. The initial plan was for the new wrong turn would bring the franchise back to theaters after five direct-to-video sequels, but then the pandemic hit. It got a limited theatrical release, then went digital. McElroy revealed: “I had two more movies planned, so there would be a trilogy, based on this Foundation idea and these characters. I would love to finish it and see everything turn out the way I wanted.“
It’s strange to change the direction of a franchise in seven movies, but I thought that 2021 wrong turn it was surprisingly good. (Our own Lance Vlcek disagreed; you can read his 4/10 review HERE.) I’d be down to see McElroy finish his Foundation trilogy… but I’d also like to see the slashers from the original movie return in a sequel that’s better than most direct-to-video follow-ups. I feel like the franchise has potential that it hasn’t reached yet.
Would you like to see McElroy get a chance to make his wrong turn aftermath? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
