Why It’s Finally Time for Kevin Bacon’s Canceled Tremors TV Series

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While it might be an unpopular opinion, the 1990s weren’t a particularly strong period for horror films. The decade was largely defined by uninspired slasher sequels and uneven adaptations of Stephen King’s work. The best horror movies from the era actually came out at the very beginning, including classics like Misery and The Silence of the Lambs, and the excellent creature feature Tremors (1990), directed by Ron Underwood and written by S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock, who also penned Short Circuit and Wild Wild West.

The movie featured a great cast, led by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, and also included Finn Carter, Reba McEntire (the country music star), Victor Wong – who often worked with director John Carpenter – and Ariana Richards from Jurassic Park. While Tremors, about giant, deadly underground worms, did well in theaters, gained a dedicated following, and spawned six sequels, Kevin Bacon didn’t reprise his role until 2018.

Kevin Bacon Almost Returned to Tremors in 2018, but a New Series Didn’t Move Forward

If the original Tremors had been a greater success, we likely would have seen a sequel much sooner than 1996, when Tremors 2: Aftershocks came out. However, the sequel went straight to TV, and Kevin Bacon was enjoying success with bigger films like JFK, A Few Good Men, and The River Wild. This led him to focus on larger projects. In fact, while Tremors 2 was being filmed, Bacon was also working on Apollo 13, a role many believe deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

After Tremors, Kevin Bacon and the film series went their own ways. The Tremors franchise continued with six more films, most recently released in 2020, and a TV series on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003. Bacon himself went on to star in major films like Sleepers, Mystic River, Hollow Man, and X-Men: First Class. Later, in the mid-2010s, he focused more on television work and smaller, personal projects.

I was so excited when I heard the news in 2018 – Kevin Bacon was coming back to Tremors! SYFY and Blumhouse were teaming up for a new TV series, and thankfully, he’d be reprising his role as Valentine McKee. Even better, Fred Ward was joining him again! The show would pick up 25 years after the original, with Val returning to Perfection. Apparently, he’s been battling some issues – a bit of a drinking problem and still feeling like he needs to be the hero after everything he went through with those Graboids.

The show aimed to both restart and continue the story of the Tremors movies. Sadly, despite a completed pilot and released trailer, the network decided not to proceed with the series. This once again delayed the return of Kevin Bacon to the popular monster franchise.

Now Is the Perfect Time for Tremors to Come Back to Life

Before 2018, Hollywood hadn’t figured out how to successfully combine reboots and sequels, a concept that the return of Tremors explored. While films like Texas Chainsaw 3D had tried this approach, neither managed to launch a lasting trend.

I really noticed a shift in how sequels were being approached around late 2018 with David Gordon Green’s new Halloween. It sparked a lot of talk about ‘legacy sequels’ – films that both honor the original and reboot the franchise for a new audience. It felt like filmmakers were consciously ‘passing the torch,’ sometimes bringing back the original cast and sometimes introducing new faces, but always with a nod to what came before.

Following this trend, “legacy sequels” became particularly popular in horror films. Movies like Candyman, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and the Netflix Texas Chainsaw Massacre all continued existing storylines while also attracting a new generation of viewers. This approach wasn’t limited to horror, however, and gained traction with other films released in 2022.

Given the current popularity of monster movies, now is a great time to bring back Tremors, and a TV series would be the ideal format. This would allow for more in-depth character development and better special effects. While the loss of Fred Ward is felt, the story could incorporate his character’s absence to give Kevin Bacon’s character more focus. To make a Tremors TV show successful, it’s crucial to find the right streaming platform and audience. Netflix or Shudder could offer the necessary funding, but MGM+ would be an excellent choice, as the existing Tremors films are already available there, potentially attracting more subscribers.

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2026-04-22 22:39