Thanksgiving star Nell Verlaque says the script originally had a "totally different" ending and filming the final scenes went "not according to plan"
Jan. 31, 2024Exclusive: Thanksgiving star Nell Verlaque talks running through the woods, becoming a final girl, and the slasher’s big ending reveal
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Warning: Thanksgiving spoilers ahead!
Thanksgiving stars Nell Verlaque says she couldn’t figure out who the killer was until it was time to film those final scenes.
The Eli Roth-directed slasher is laid out much like Scream, where it’s up to the lead heroine to solve the mystery – which she solves at the same time as the audience. Verlaque’s Jess Wright spends much of the film piecing together clues and suspects, all while being hunted down by a vengeful masked killer known as John Carver.
The film’s final scenes see Jess run through the woods in true final girl fashion before suddenly realizing that the killer is none other than Sheriff Eric Newton (Patrick Dempsey), the man who had been helping Jess crack the case all along. As it turns out, Jess was unknowingly leading John Carver to his victims, with Jess initially set up to be his last kill. She’s able to outsmart him, and cement her status as the slasher genre’s newest final girl.
“It was crazy. We filmed all this in Toronto and it was freezing and snowing not according to plan. And those last scenes we filmed in this huge warehouse, obviously not a very warm place,” Verlaque explains. “We were all freezing and all trying to get these last shots – it was just one of those great things. We had explosions and chases and all these massive things and everyone was freezing. I think it just sort of pushed everyone to get together and hunker down. And we did. So at the end everyone was like, okay, let’s go home.”
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Star Rick Hoffman, who plays Jess’s father Thomas, says he also couldn’t figure out who the killer was, and that those final scenes proved to be a challenge.
“I couldn’t figure it out! It was really laid out the way was in the movie. I thought Patrick Dempsey did a really fantastic job.It really great to watch when we were in that screening, [seeing] how well he played it. I think it’s why the movie did so well, because he did just a very subtle performance and then also just a great reveal. His acting work was just fantastic in the movie,” Hoffman says.
“The thing that was most challenging to me was that dinner scene. The [challenge is] always for me, when it requires vulnerability and any emotion. I get that pit in my stomach. It’s daunting, it’s like, oh no, when is that day coming? I get nervous because I know it’s gonna take a lot of concentration and really hard work just to make sure it’s as real as possible,” Hoffman explains. “It was gratifying to work around the table with all the other actors. Everybody was so focused and just so professional. And Eli, just trusting him - he’s great with actors. If you’re on the right track, he’ll guide you and make you feel like you’re in that way. You know, it’s smoother than [with] other directors. It’s a smooth experience with Eli.”
Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent’s Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.
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