Updated: February 22, 2021
Wrong Turn is a seven-film franchise that began in 2003 and was created by Alan B. McElroy; here's what we know so far about 2021's Wrong Turn reboot.
The Wrong Turn franchise explores various family members of a mountain-dwelling cannibal tribe in the West Virginia wilderness and Appalachian mountain regions. The deformed killers specialize in various types of hunting, traps, and weaponry to ensnare their prey. Though there have been many villains featured in the various Wrong Turn movies, one particular cannibal, known as Three-Finger, has appeared in all six films. The biggest change to the reboot is that Three-Finger is no longer a part of the story.
Fans of the franchise have come to expect lots of bloody dismemberment from the films, but the plots tend to be a little thin, focusing more on brutality and violence for scares than deeper thematic elements. Wrong Turn is also a beloved franchise without much of the heralding that other major franchises utilize for marketing and press. The first film, Wrong Turn, was the only installment to be released in theaters, with the second film, Wrong Turn: Dead End, being released at various film festivals before its wide release, and all others went directly to DVD/VOD.
Wrong Turn Began Development In 2019
Wrong Turn began principal photography on September 9, 2019 and was reported to have wrapped on November 26, 2019. Cast members include Matthew Modine (Stranger Things), Charlotte Vega, Emma Dumont (The Gifted), Valerie Jane Parker (Greenleaf), Chaney Morrow (Haunt), Dylan McTee, Adrian Favela, David Hutchinson (American Horror Story), Damian Maffei (The Strangers Prey At Night), and Bill Sage (Hap and Leonard). Mike P. Nelson directed with a screenplay by Alan B. McElroy, the writer of the original Wrong Turn and franchise creator. Constantin Film is the distributing company for the film. Wrong Turn was scheduled to be released in 2020, but the global pandemic delayed the horror film until early 2021.
What Is The Wrong Turn Reboot About?
As with other films in the Wrong Turn franchise, the plot for Wrong Turn's reboot follows a group of hikers who are traveling the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. They meet a group of people known as The Foundation, who have reportedly been living in the surrounding mountainous areas for hundreds of years, even before the Civil War. As is common with the villainous characters in the franchise, these members do not take kindly to strangers in their midst. The film is a reboot and doesn't follow the same cannibals that have been featured before. Rather than make Wrong Turn an origin story for the cannibals that have been at the center of the franchise, the reboot is changing things up a bit, though the story maintains the Appalachian community who has a penchant for killing anyone who dares to step off the trail. The character names point to a theme with the killers, as they are called "Deer Skull," "Ram Skull," and "Wild Boar Skull."
When Is Wrong Turn Being Released?
Release was currently slated for some time in 2020, though the date was delayed due to COVID. The Wrong Turn reboot was released in theaters on January 26, 2021, but it was only for one day. However, fans of the franchise didn't have to wait long, as the horror film will be released by Saban Films on demand, digital, Blu-ray and DVD on February 23, 2021.