To say that Eli Roth has had an incredibly successful career would be pretty accurate (years later, he’s still basically making films he loves), but that doesn’t mean everything has worked. Remember that ‘Clock’ kids film with Cate Blanchett? Exactly. And it seems like his “Borderlands” film was basically ripped away from him. But with those setbacks, he returned in a big way with “Thanksgiving,” going back to his horror roots. And it appears the filmmaker might go back even further into his roots for upcoming films based on his previous hits.
In a recent interview with CinePOP, Eli Roth talked about his love of horror and what he might have in store in the future. That is to say, he might actually revive the “Hostel” and “Cabin Fever” franchises for new installments. Why would he do that? Well, people love those movies, but also Roth feels like a neglectful father who needs to take care of his children.
“‘Hostel’—there’s a lot more to do,” said Roth. “I’d love to go back to ‘Hostel’ at some point. And ‘Cabin Fever’ as well. They’re a part of me, like my children, and I feel like I’ve been ignoring them for too long. I’d love to go back to them, in some way. I have ideas.”
He added, “I would direct it. I don’t want them in anyone else’s hands.”
For those unaware, “Cabin Fever” is probably the creepiest of Roth’s hit films. That movie followed the story of a group of young people who go to a cabin in the woods for a little vacation. While there, an infection spreads and starts to kill the friends. It’s wild and bloody and very Eli Roth-ian. “Hostel,” on the other hand, is a film spawned from the success of films such as “Saw” and its ilk. Roth’s film followed people who went to a hostel in Europe to find that its actually a trap to funnel unsuspecting people into a twisted game where rich people torture and murder them. Again, very Eli Roth. It’s also the franchise that really took the ideas of “Saw” and turned it up to 11, getting people to start using the term “torture porn.”
The “Cabin Fever” franchise has actually been kept alive with semi-regular sequels. But none of them feature Roth behind the camera. We’ll have to see if/when he returns to these franchises. You have to imagine some studios would love to see it happen.