Should Wrong Turn 8 reboot the franchise once again or act as a legacy sequel? Wrong Turn is an unlikely success story, with the original 2003 movie being a glossy homage to horror movies of the '70s and '80s. The film was a modest success, leading to a direct-to-DVD sequel dubbed Wrong Turn 2: Dead End by director Joe Lynch.
Wrong Turn 2 got better reviews and is arguably the best outing in the franchise and helped launch a range of DTV entries. Sadly, like just about every long-running horror series, the repetitive formula and decreasing budgets saw later outings get worse and worse. The death of franchise villain Three Finger in the third movie Left For Dead saw the movies fall into a similar problem to the Saw movies. Once Jigsaw (AKA John Kramer) died in the third movie, later entries had to feature constant flashbacks to keep him part of the series. Likewise, Wrong Turn 4 to 6 were prequels set before the original trilogy, featuring Three Finger and his murderous family tormenting more luckless teenagers.
The Wrong Turn movie franchise hit the reset switch in a major way with the seventh movie in 2021. This entry had zero story links to the previous films and instead focused on a group of friends who hike the Appalachian Trail and come across a cult called The Foundation who are hostile - in this case, murderously so - to outsiders. Wrong Turn 2021 featured some bloody demises and traps, but had more on its mind, including political commentary. It was an ambitious, if not entirely successful reboot, that ended on a note that could lead to a sequel - the question is, which direction will Wrong Turn 8 take?
Why A Soft Reboot Is Wrong Turn's Best Future
Wrong Turn 2021 was truly divisive; some fans liked the way it took the series in a new direction, while others hated it for that reason. The reboot ended with lead character Jen (Charlotte Vega) killing the leader of The Foundation - who had forced her to become his partner - and escaping the cult. This could lead to a further story where she heads back to destroy The Foundation or them coming to hunt her down, but the movie wraps up on a satisfying note that doesn't feel like it needs another story.
The original run of Wrong Turn movies flamed out in a big way, with Wrong Turn - which has a complicated timeline - back to the big screen. It may not have the name recognition of Halloween or Friday The 13th, but the first film still has a cult following. Making a direct sequel set decades later might be a little tricky though, especially since original lead Eliza Dushku has seemingly stepped away from acting and likely wouldn't return.
Outside of a Wrong Turn legacy sequel, one final option could be an anthology format. Since Wrong Turn 2021 took the basic concept and spun it in a new direction, the next film - be it theatrical or STV - could again introduce another spin on the idea. The Halloween franchise infamously attempted this with the third movie Season Of The Witch, and while that experiment didn't work at the time, the sequel is now considered a cult favorite. could keep the anthology format going, although followers of the saga would likely prefer a back-to-basics sequel.
