Tremors Writers Secure Franchise Rights for New Sequel (And They Could Bring Back Kevin Bacon)

Good news for Tremors fans: Stampede Entertainment, the production company behind the first four Tremors series installments, has reclaimed the rights to the original script for Tremors (which was initially titled “Beneath Perfection”). We mention that nuance about the rights to the original script because the production house has only secured some of the rights. This latest development is a win, for sure, though it does not give Stampede Entertainment carte blanche. Not by a long shot, actually. The company recently posted an update to their official website clarifying that they do not have the rights to the first film or the ability to license anything from said film.

The statement clarifies that Stampede isn’t looking for outside ideas, so there’s no need to send them your spec script. However, they did reveal that they are exploring the possibility of a sequel that returns the action to Perfection, the locale where several of the films, including portions of the first, unfold.

Stampede took care to emphasize that this will not be a remake of the first, nor will it be based on their original script for Tremors 5. The post goes on to say, “We are considering ideas that feature the return of Kevin Bacon as Val, but no promises!”

It’s nice to hear that Stampede is interested in roping Bacon back into the franchise. The prolific actor played the lead in the first film but has not reprised the role in any of the follow-ups. Is Bacon interested in returning to the series? The actor recently confirmed to ComicBook, “I just want to see what happened 25-30 years later to this guy and where he would have ended up.”

Well, it sounds like he may have the opportunity to see what old Val has been up to over the past several decades, but temper your expectations. There have been attempts to revive the franchise with Bacon on board previously and none of them have seen the light of day. SYFY optioned a Tremors series pilot with Bacon attached in 2017, and the Internet went crazy and we all got our hopes up. Yet, that project never made it out of development hell, as SYFY opted not to pick up the pilot to series. Hopefully, Stampede finds a way to push the series forward and reunite members of the original cast.

Ron Underwood directed the first film in the long-running Tremors series, helming from a script by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock. In addition to Bacon, the first film features Michael Gross, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, and country singer Reba McEntire. Gross is the only actor to appear in all of the films (and television series) to date. At this point, he is the backbone of the franchise, and we sincerely hope Stampede gets him on board as well.

Only time will tell if this latest attempt to rope Bacon back into the franchise bears fruit, but seeing that both Stampede Entertainment and Bacon are game, we are feeling cautiously optimistic.

What do you think about seeing Bacon reprise the Valentine McKee role? Make sure to let us know your take in the comments below.