Kevin Smith may be working on a sequel to his outrageous horror-comedy Tusk after much deliberation and a genuine “will they, won’t they” relationship. Even though Smith had previously made the transition to horror with Red State, this film’s release in 2014 signalled a weird turn in his career as it dove headfirst into the domain of horrific body horror. Justin Long, who played the lead in the first film, told Slash Film that Smith would be making a return to the surreal setting. “To your delight, Kevin [Smith] has just announced… well, I guess they’re discussing it. I believe production on Tusk 2 has begun “We’ve been telling Lex Briscuso for a long time. He repeated his earlier claim and said that Smith had contacted the original cast members to let them know about the sequel. “He informed Haley (Joel Osment) and Genesis (Rodriguez) through text message the other day that he wanted to do it, and at first I thought it was a joke. It dawned on me then that he was dead serious. A second interviewer chimed in to confirm it, saying, “Yeah, he said the same to me.”
Tusk starred Michael Parks as a recluse sailor who promised enticing tales and, more significantly, had a fixation with a specific walrus that had saved his life at sea, but who turned out to be podcaster Wallace Bryton’s worst nightmare. As Smith points out, the film’s outlandishness stems from the fact that Wallace is transformed into a human walrus by means of a very horrific skin suit and tusks. Despite the film’s mixed reviews, it remains remembered thanks to Wallace’s shocking physical change and the terrifying ramifications of the procedure. The likelihood of there being a sequel was always low. The film concluded with a bittersweet twist that allowed Wallace to find some serenity in his new existence.
Given the success of the original, it’s difficult to imagine a wider audience for the remake. But Smith has said that generating money was never the primary motivation for creating Tusk; it was always more about expressing himself creatively. In addition, he mentioned a potential plot solution for Tusk 2 during a 2020 Twitch stream: There’s an alternate ending to Tusk 2 in which another character is drawn into the spider’s web in the current day. You hear tales about the home, and when you go, you find that Wallace has shed his walrus garb and is now acting out his rage on unsuspecting victims.
That leaves up the possibility of a Tusk sequel in which Justin takes on the role originally intended for Michael Parks. In a sense, Wallace replaces Howard Howe. This is certainly a possibility. A second Tusk film is feasible. After the release of Tusk 2, on September 13 you may catch Smith in the much-anticipated Clerks III.