Is Kevin Smith's Tusk 2 Still Happening? Or Are We Done With Justin Long As A Human Walrus?

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"Tusk" was a theatrical experience that's hard to forget. The trailer did not give much away, and it was difficult to tell whether Kevin Smith was aiming for parody or serious horror. Was this really about someone being held captive by a seaman with an affinity for walruses? The idea for "Tusk" began with a SModcast episode where Smith and his friend/producer Scott Mosier poked fun at a classified advertisement made by a homeowner who offered free lodging to someone if they dressed as a walrus for two hours a day. The strange, real-life story inspired a brainstorming session about how they might bring the story to life on film. 

"I could have easily just been like, 'Oh, that was a stupid stoner idea that I won't follow through on,' but, I don't know, there seemed to be a lot of nobility in taking a stoner idea all the way through to fruition," Smith told The Hollywood Reporter, before polling his Twitter followers to tweet #WalrusYes or #WalrusNo on whether he should actually make the movie.

What resulted was one of the most uncomfortable film viewings ever, especially the big reveal that literally brings "I Am the Walrus" to life for Justin Long's cocky podcaster. "Tusk" strikes a strange tone between irreverent humor and pure body horror. There's something very visceral about its story of a man-turned-animal. Smith spins a stomach-churning and profoundly sad yarn that is difficult to shake off — even if the situation defies all conventional logic and borders on the hilariously absurd.

Although considered a box office bomb and critical failure (read /Film's review here), "Tusk" has developed a cult following and there have been rumblings of another #WalrusYes.

On the September 1, 2022 episode of his podcast Fatman Beyond, Smith said he planned to release the "Tusk" sequel, which he would call "Tusk$" in honor of James Cameron's pitch for "Aliens," in 2024 for the 10th anniversary — which obviously didn't happen. Instead, 2024 saw the release of Smith's semi-autobiographical comedy "The 4:30 Movie."

Since 2014, Smith has been busy continuing his True North trilogy (Canadian films with a horror-comedy bent) with "Yoga Hosers," starring Harley Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp as the unenthused convenience store girls. The third planned movie in the trilogy is "Moose Jaws" (Smith's one-line pitch for it is "'Jaws,' but with a moose instead of a shark"). At GalaxyCon in 2022 (via Fangoria), Smith indicated that Lionsgate was keen to finance "Moose Jaws" after hearing the pitch — especially the part of the pitch where he said he could make it for around $3 million. 

"Moose Jaws" is just one of several planned films on Smith's slate, though. There's also "Mallrats II: Twilight of the Mallrats," and another "Jay and Silent Bob" movie. Whether or not these movies actually get made (and in what order) greatly depends on Smith's ability to secure financing for them. Given the box office performance of "Tusk," "Tusk$" faces an uphill battle. However, Smith has floated the idea of killing two birds with one stone and merging "Tusk 2" and "Moose Jaws" into a single movie. (More on that later.)

In August 2022 after a screening of "Barbarian," Justin Long exclusively told /Film that Kevin Smith was prepping for a "Tusk" sequel: 

"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."

Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez, who play Long's character Wallace's podcast partner and girlfriend, have yet to confirm these texts from Kevin Smith or comment on the sequel. Sadly, Michael Parks, who played the dastardly seaman Howard Howe, passed away on May 9, 2017, so he and his character will not have any involvement with "Tusk 2." As of now, Justin Long is the only cast member to confirm the development of the "Tusk" sequel, leaving us to continue speculating about its possible realization. 

On his Fatman Beyond podcast episode from September 1, 2022, Kevin Smith shared his plans to turn Wallace from victim to villain in the sequel:

"It's like Harvey Dent in 'The Dark Knight Returns,' but he'll only ever see himself one way, and he becomes the Howard Howe. Justin Long becomes the crazy guy trying to turn people into something else, kind of chimera-things, half-human, half-whatever. Last time it was walrus, this time we'll see."

Kevin Smith revealed that the terrifying final scene of "Tusk," where Wallace is still trapped in the walrus suit and lives in an abandoned zoo, was intentionally left open-ended. "I always knew as we were making the movie I was just like, 'I'll totally do this again,'" he said. His idea was that Wallace would eventually be removed from the walrus enclosure but never psychologically recover, his humanity too far gone. Given the passing of Michael Parks, it makes sense for Wallace to assume the central role, especially as the antagonist.

In a November 2024 interview with The Hollywood News, Smith teased another intriguing possibility for "Tusk 2" and "Moose Jaws," when asked about which one he was planning to make first: 

"Let me say it this way, 'cause me and Justin Long have been talking lately. What if those two things were the same thing?"

Putting a monstrous man-walrus and a monstrous moose together certainly makes a strange, twisted sense. The only question is: would they team up, or would it be a "Batman v Superman" situation?

From Justin Long's excitement in his exclusive /Film interview, it seems highly likely that he will reprise his role as Wallace in the "Tusk" sequel. While there hasn't been official confirmation, Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez will likely also return. Hopefully, Harley Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp will also make another silly appearance as the perpetually bored teenagers. Their characters are probably still working as clerks in the same store. 

Speaking to Cinema Blend in 2022, Smith addressed the possibility — and the challenges — of bringing back Johnny Depp as police inspector Guy LaPointe:

"There's a version where, [for] the story I need to tell, I would have to kill him right in the beginning. I'd have to 'Psycho' it, right ... I'd have to Drew Barrymore [in 'Scream'] him at the top of screen in order to tell the story I need to tell. Which I'm not saying is not doable whatsoever and whatnot. It's just, it's tough to bank on very famous people. Like superstars. I've learned in the past that then you become kind of at the mercy of their schedule. It's hard enough to get a movie made. I'm not going to set myself up for more difficulties by being like, 'And we need Johnny.' Now, that being said, in a world where he's like absolutely free, and it goes nicely with what we're doing, I would never say no. But he's not a key component right now."

What's particularly exciting about Kevin Smith's plans for "Tusk 2" is the potential expansion of the cast, since there might be multiple sets of victims. The film won't just be another two-hander. Broadening the story to include even more deranged creations opens the door to a more diverse cast, whether it be other Kevin Smith movie alumni, new talents, or just a giant evil moose.