Summary

Rights changing hands has spurred the potential for a new Tremors film.
The creators have already mentioned ideas involving Kevin Bacon's Valentine "Val" McKee.
There are other great actors from the franchise who should return beyond just Kevin Bacon.

It's the perfect time to resurrect the Tremors franchise following news about the rights changing hands, and the creators should bring back more actors than just Kevin Bacon. The comedic horror series debuted with the 1990's Tremors, starring Bacon, Fred Ward, and Michael Gross. While it felt like a classic B-movie on the surface, its eclectic small-town characters, genuine laughs, and unique subterranean creatures (dubbed Graboids) endeared the film to audiences, making it a cult hit that spawned an entire franchise.

A revival starring Bacon was planned for the Syfy network, with a pilot filmed in 2017 that saw him reprise the role of Valentine "Val" McKee. The network ultimately passed on the TV series adaptation, but they did release a trailer for it, which highlights what the creators envisioned for the series. However, with some of the rights to the Tremors franchise finally changing hands, the future may yet bestow fans with another installment, and if it comes to fruition, the creators have some great options beyond Bacon to potentially bring back.

There Are Many More Tremors Movies Than Mainstream Audiences Probably Realize

Tremors-Cold-Day-In-Hell-Burt — Burt in Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell

The first Tremors film was directed by Ron Underwood, from a script by writers S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock. While it wasn't a blockbuster at the box office, it found plenty of success in the home video market, which would see the series continue with straight-to-video sequels. In 1996, Tremors 2: Aftershocks was released, with Wilson stepping into the director's chair and co-writing the script with Maddock. The two continued to be the driving force through the next two sequels, where they each received story credits, with Maddock directing Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, and Wilson back to direct the prequel, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins.

While Fred Ward returned for Tremors 2, Michael Gross' Burt Gummer became the star of the series. Tremors 3 even served as a pilot to the Tremors TV series—which lasted for a single season—by showrunner and producer of the first three sequels, Nancy Roberts. However, following Tremors 4, Universal Studios, which owned the rights to the franchise, chose not to renew contracts with the original creators, putting the next round of sequels into the hands of director Don Michael Paul.

Gross returns for each entry, leading the fight against an ever-evolving Graboid threat, which saw the creatures changing into Shriekers, Ass-Blasters, and even a virus. Tremors 5: Bloodlines saw Burt traveling to South Africa with a son he never knew he had. The sixth installment was called Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, and pitted Burt against a thawed-out Graboid threat in the Arctic Circle thanks to global warming.

Finally, there was the seventh film, titled Tremors: Shrieker Island, which featured a group of wealthy people hunting Shriekers for sport. Tremors: Shrieker Island saw the demise of Burt Gummer, with the character leaving this world the only way he knew how: by leaping through the air, flipping off the Queen Graboid as it swallows him, before the Queen falls to its demise, proving Burt's last-ditch effort to save everyone succeeded. The seventh film was released in 2020, with the franchise lying dormant ever since.

Why Now Is The Absolute Perfect Time To Dig Up The Tremors Franchise

A Graboid emerging from the ground in Tremors

Following Burt's demise, the Tremors franchise was left without a protagonist to push forward with, as Kennedy and even Jon Heder in Shrieker Island felt incapable of carrying the series. However, Tremors may have a new lease on life, as some of the rights have recently been transferred back to Underwood, Wilson, Maddock, and Roberts through Stampede Entertainment. The group is already pushing forward plans for a Tremors novelization and kicking around ideas for the next Tremors sequel.

As stated by Stampede Entertainment, "We are discussing a return-to-Perfection sequel, and one or two more outlandish ideas featuring Graboids in new settings." They also assured fans that they would not be working from their original Tremors 5 script, which is the direction they had planned to take the series prior to them being shut out. The creators have also promised fans what they have been asking for the longest, stating, "We are considering ideas that feature the return of Kevin Bacon as Val, but no promises!" Nothing is currently set in stone, but it is the biggest update the franchise has had in the last five years, and it leaves the future brimming with possibilities.

We are considering ideas that feature the return of Kevin Bacon as Val, but no promises!

Kevin Bacon Should Return To The Series, Along With Other Actors From The Tremors Franchise

Bacon's return is something fans have wanted since the sequels started. The actor wasn't originally fond of the film, seeing it as the B-movie it felt like, though the fans eventually changed his mind. However, his character was mentioned in Tremors 2: Aftershocks, with Ward's Earl stating he's married to Finn Carter's Rhonda LeBreck from the first Tremors film. Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell introduced Val and Rhonda's daughter, Valerie "Val" McKee, with her hinting that the couple may have divorced. Other than that, Bacon's canceled TV revival was his only return to the franchise.

Now that a new sequel could be on the way, and with Bacon's enthusiasm renewed, it makes perfect sense to bring back Val. Bringing back the character's wife Rhonda may be a tougher prospect, as Carter looks to be long retired from acting, and whether he has a daughter may rely on the creators even acknowledging the sequels in which they had no say. However, Tremors has great options from which to pull.

Reba McEntire starred in Tremors as Burt's wife, Heather. She was said to have divorced him, allowing her to be written off in the numerous sequels. Still, since her time in Tremors, and even beyond McEntire's massively successful music career, she has become a huge TV star, acting in recent shows like Happy's Place and Big Sky, along with her smash-hit sitcom Reba, which ran for six seasons.

Other actors that could return to the Tremors franchise are Ariana Richards, who became known as Lex from Jurassic Park, but also played Mindy in the first film and Tremors 3, and Tremors 2 stars Chris Gartin and Helen Shaver, who play Grady and Kate, respectively, would be great options. No matter the direction the creators decide to go, the future looks bright for Tremors, with many great choices to bring back for more Graboid action.

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