The True North trilogy may be returning in the near future as Justin Long says Kevin Smith is developing Tusk 2. Written and directed by the View Askewniverse creator, the film centered on Wallace Bryton, co-host of a viral video-mocking podcast who comes across a flyer for a man offering a room in exchange for hearing what he says to be interesting stories. After taking him up on the offer, Wallace finds himself drugged and kidnapped by the man, Howard Howe, who plans to disfigure Wallace's body in order to fit him into a walrus costume to recreate the walrus that saved his life.
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Alongside Long, the ensemble cast for Tusk included the late Michael Parks, Johnny Depp, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Harley Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp. Hitting theaters in late 2014, the horror comedy scored largely mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, with some praising its bizarre concept, atmosphere and the performances of is cast, while others criticized it for its inconsistent tone and poor pacing. Having initially bombed at the box office, Tusk has garnered somewhat of a cult following in the years since it came out, and it appears those who fell in love with the film will get to see the wild concept back on screens soon.
While speaking with SlashFilm at a special screening for Barbarian, Justin Long revealed that Kevin Smith is developing Tusk 2. The actor shared that the writer/director reached out to him and his other costars to gauge their interest in the project, which Long initially didn't believe to be genuine. See what Long shared below:
You'll be happy to hear, Kevin [Smith] just announ– I mean, I guess they're talking about it. They're doing 'Tusk 2,' I think. He texted us all the other day, Haley [Joel Osment] and Genesis [Rodriguez], and he told us that he wanted to do it, and I thought it was a joke. And then I realized he was being serious. And then one of the [other] interviewers said, 'Yeah, he said the same to me.'
Long's reveal that Kevin Smith is developing Tusk 2 isn't the first time word of a sequel to the horror-comedy began to swirl. Smith himself teased his own idea for a follow-up in mid-2020, saying it would see Long's Wallace somehow escaping the terrifying walrus bodysuit he was trapped in at the end of the original Tusk and become the villain in the next film, perpetuating the cycle of violence put forth by Michael Parks' Howard in the previous movie. Many have responded favorably to Smith's idea, feeling it would not only be an effective way to continue the story, but honor the legacy of Parks in the wake of his real death in 2017.
If Smith is indeed developing Tusk 2, it will be interesting to see how it factors into his True North trilogy plans. Smith has been on-and-off working on the closing chapter Moose Jaws, with his last update being that he had removed Jay and Silent Bob from the script after initially planning to kill them in the movie, but with his focus on bringing the View Askewniverse back in Jay & Silent Bob Reboot and the upcoming Clerks III, and the critical and commercial failure of Yoga Hosers, many have been left wondering if he will return to the horror franchise. While audiences await further details on the potential sequel, they can revisit Tusk streaming on HBO Max now.