The original Tremors was one of the best B-movies of the early 1990s. After a brief but successful run in cinemas, the horror-comedy became a hit on home video (helped by truly iconic VHS cover art), and since that first film, we’ve had six sequels and a TV show, with the most recent entry last year’s Jurassic Park riff Tremors: Shrieker Island.
But for me, the original is still top of the pile. Aside from the cool monsters, it’s also notable for a fun Kevin Bacon role, with the actor playing the heroic Valentine McKee, who apparently has unfinished business with the Graboids. In an interview with Empire, Bacon was asked if there are any parts he’d particularly like to revisit, and while his first instinct is to say that he’d prefer to leave the past in the past, he changed his mind and mentioned Tremors.
“It was one film of mine that I wanted to revisit that character. I don’t look back at all. In fact, Tremors is the only movie of mine that I have rewatched since it’s come out.”
Bacon goes on to explain he didn’t return for Tremors 2 as it was going straight-to-video (and anyway, he was busy with Apollo 13), but has had the itch to get back to the franchise for a while. He eventually did, in fact, for a 2017 TV pilot that’s never been aired, with the actor noting:
“We were around the 25 year anniversary. I went to Blumhouse, and they were totally into the idea. Universal didn’t want to remake it as a feature and also maybe because it didn’t work as a feature the first time. So we put it aside. Then they came back to me and said, ‘What would you think about doing it as a series?’”
For unknown reasons, this didn’t bear fruit, but Bacon is hopeful, saying:
“I would still love to do it, believe me. Maybe it needs to be the 30th anniversary or the 35th. We’ll keep going.”
In the meantime, fans are wondering if there’s going to be a Tremors 8. Shrieker Island ended on a conclusive note, though star Michael Gross (who plays Burt Gummer) isn’t ruling anything out, stating:
“The door is still open for an eighth Tremors. It may seem unlikely by what people see on the screen, but it is possible. There could be an eighth. And if there were, and if it were an interesting story, I would be up for it because Burt is always a great deal of fun. It would depend on his physicality. How much they want me to do. If it’s in another two years, I’ll be 75 years old. So I will continue to hope and pray that I stay in shape, to do what is asked of me – if it is asked of me.”
Though the stories have gotten silly, I’ll always have a soft spot for this action/horror franchise. Sure, the special effects might be a bit ropey and some of the acting isn’t great, but Tremors has got heart, and that goes a long way. Whether Bacon makes a comeback or not, I hope the ground keeps ominously rumbling for years to come.
