The Grindhouse feature film Thanksgiving has a big star on the horizon to take the lead role. The film, which is being directed by Eli Roth, is an expansion of the parody trailer he contributed to the 2007 theatrical experience Grindhouse. The project was a double feature of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's retro throwback films Death Proof and Planet Terror that played faux trailers in between the features, including other titles that were eventually adapted into full films like Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun.
Per Deadline, a major star is currently in talks to take the lead in Eli Roth's Thanksgiving. The star in question is Patrick Dempsey, who is best known for playing McDreamy on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, on which he appeared for over 250 episodes. More recently, he appeared in the 2022 Disney+ sequel Disenchanted, reprising his role from the original 2007 Enchanted.
Patrick Dempsey's History in the Horror Genre is Brief But Fascinating
Should Dempsey choose to take on the role in the Thanksgiving-themed slasher film, this would be his first proper horror project in over two decades. In fact, it would only be his third horror film in his entire career. His experience with the genre has been brief but began quite early with his second-ever role, an uncredited appearance in the 1985 Larry Cohen cult film The Stuff.
Dempsey's next horror role was much more prominent but took 15 years to come to fruition. That appearance was in the blockbuster slasher sequel Scream 3 in 2000. He played Detective Mark Kincaid n the Wes Craven film, who is eventually set up as a potential love interest for Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott. Although he didn't appear in Scream 4, 2022's Scream implied that Sidney and Mark were still together.
Although his horror roles have been few and far between, it seems that Dempsey is overdue a lead performance. His trio of horror films with increasingly prominent roles would have a perfect capper if he appears in Thanksgiving. If he finally catches the horror bug once and for all, this could also be a good setup for his return to the Scream franchise should the upcoming sequel Scream 6 garner a Scream 7 with its strong projected box office take.
Source: Deadline