Photo Credit: TriStar Pictures (through Sony Pictures Releasing)
Thanksgiving 2 has been pushed back, with director Eli Roth sharing details about what caused the delay. After the original movie’s commercial success and strong reviews, new challenges have complicated plans for Thanksgiving 2.

Eli Roth explains why Thanksgiving 2 is delayed

Director Eli Roth has confirmed that Thanksgiving 2 is delayed due to practical scheduling complications. He explained that coordinating the availability of the ensemble cast has become the primary challenge. Since the film’s release, several cast members have taken on major new projects across film, television, and music.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Roth said, ”We’re very lucky with our cast. We had the most amazing cast. And they’re all blowing up.” Jalen Thomas Brooks has appeared in The Pitt, Nell Verlaque has joined MGM+’s American Classic, and Milo Manheim has been cast in Disney’s live-action Tangled as Flynn Rider. Meanwhile, Addison Rae is currently committed to a global music tour running through mid-2026. The director added that their success has created “a bit of a scheduling issue.”

As a result, Roth said Thanksgiving 2 will not follow the same production model as the first film. Rather than filming with the full cast present throughout, he plans to shoot scenes around individual availability.

He explained, “I can get you for three days here. Great. Let’s shoot out your stuff. So I’m going to have to tap dance around.” Despite the delay, Roth emphasized that interest in the franchise remains strong. He noted that Thanksgiving has already returned to theaters multiple times since its initial release.

Roth also revealed that his creative approach to the sequel is focused on surprise. “I just think about if I sat down and I had bought a ticket and I was a fan and I was watching the movie, what would surprise me?” he noted.  

Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.