While these pictures may not include any monsters – nor anyone that looks particularly chilly – the first images from Tremors 6: A Cold Day In Hell are entirely on-brand for the iconic horror-comedy franchise, which is now in its 28th year.
Featuring Michael Gross as Burt Gummer – the only character to have appeared in every Tremors project released so far – they reveal plenty of guns being aimed out of buildings, pneumatic drills and some tense ‘don’t walk on the ground!’ shots. Mostly, though, we can see that Gross and his cast are having a great time, and that’s really what this franchise is all about.
The premise for the series is gloriously simple. Back in 1990, we saw the tiny, desert town of Perfection ravaged by monsters called Graboids that live under the sand. With the action then led by Kevin Bacon’s Val McKee and Fred Ward’s Earl Bass, Burt Gummer was very much a supporting act as the weapons-obsessed survivalist who suddenly doesn’t seem so unhinged when the town comes under attack. 1996’s Tremors 2: Aftershocks lost Kevin Bacon and moved the action to Mexico – where Ward’s Earl Bass was hired to clear an oilfield of an underground monster infestation.
That film also had Gross’ Burt in a supporting role, but 2001’s Tremors 3: Back To Perfection saw Burt finally take the lead – returning to Perfection after hunting monsters in Argentina, only to find that they’ve also reappeared under the town. As a change of pace, 2004’s Tremors 4: The Legend Begins served as a prequel to the original Tremors, with Gross playing Hiram Gummer – ancestor of Burt – in 1889. This was followed by Tremors 5: Bloodlines in 2015, which was a sequel to 2003’s TV effort, Tremors: The Series, and which found Burt Gummer being host of his own survivalist show, with newcomer Travis Welker (Jamie Kennedy) working as his cameraman.
Tremors 6: A Cold Day In Hell will also see the return of director Don Michael Paul (Tremors 5: Bloodlines) and a script that is co-written by John Whelpley (Tremors 3: Back To Perfection). New to the franchise are cast members Tanya van Graan, Greg Kriek, Jay Anstey and Jenna Upton.
Shaking the story up one more time, this instalment sees Burt and Travis travel to a remote arctic research base where, presumably, Graboids have begun to wreak havoc. Could it be that the Tremors franchise is seeking to make a statement about climate change, with previously frozen nightmares suddenly able to break free due to melting polar caps? It looks like we’ll have to wait a few more months to find out, but color us intrigued.
