Based on the trailer for Wrong Turn 7, it's possible that the new installment can connect to the 2003 movie, Wrong Turn, in a way that allows the new installment to establish its own canon while respecting its roots — here's how.
Wrong Turn was the franchise's only theatrical release, though the franchise enjoyed five other movies that went direct to video. The first two movies are arguably the best, as the later installments tended to rely on low-budget sensibilities and saw diminishing returns through heavy reliance on blood, gore, and sexuality rather than a cohesive storyline. Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort disconnected from much of the established canon and got some of the franchise's harshest reviews to date as a result. This made the news that original writer Alan B. McElroy would be returning to pen Wrong Turn 7 after a seven year hiatus all the more exciting.
McElroy's return to pen a reboot makes perfect sense, given the franchise's history. However, Wrong Turn 7 doesn't seem to feature the original cannibals from the movies or their other family members at all. In the absence of Three Finger, One Eye, and Saw Tooth, it seems like Wrong Turn 7 will be entirely disconnected from the previous six movies other than in its basic concept, which goes along with the standard reboot formula. That said, there's still a possibility for the cannibal family to be mentioned, thus connecting the new canon to the original franchise. Since Wrong Turn 7 seems to focus on a group of individuals known as "The Foundation", the cannibal family familiar to the other Wrong Turn movies can connect to this group through mere mention, offering fans the best of both worlds.
Based on the trailer, "The Foundation" are a group of people who have nestled into the Appalachian wilderness and established a society of their own. Given the presence of intricate traps, such as a massive log that's triggered to release via some sort of trip wire, it's clear the members of "The Foundation" mean business. They've likely survived under the radar for generations, which is also implied not only by the trailer for Wrong Turn 7, but the original movies. The gas station attendant—who is later revealed to be the father of the three original cannibals—redirects travelers down a road that will inevitably lead to their demise. Wrong Turn 7 posits that some people do know about "The Foundation", but also know to avoid them at all costs, which allows them to continue their lifestyle without outside interference.
If the Odets family from the previous Wrong Turn movies were involved with "The Foundation" at some point, they could be mentioned in passing. Two of the three cannibal brothers died in the first Wrong Turn movie, leaving Three Finger as the only survivor, and Wrong Turn 2 expanded on the family by adding additional and previously unseen members. Wrong Turn 7 doesn't need to completely ignore this detail. Instead, it can frame the Odets family and original three cannibals as detractors, a sort of splinter cell who were previously involved with "The Foundation" and isolated themselves for some reason or another. It can be a brief mention, but would tie together the canon details that fans do enjoy with the movie's new narrative.
Wrong Turn 7 doesn't seem to connect to the original cannibal family at all. The animal skulls the new killers sport and their names—which use the word "Skull" as a sort of surname—is enough to suggest that separation. However, there's no need to completely forget the past — retcons have been successful before by taking what works from existing canon and retconning just enough information to get past the less desirable or murky parts. With this simple addition, old and new can combine to hopefully create a fresh, lasting legacy for the Wrong Turn movies in 2021 and beyond.