Some bad news for fans of teen comedy movie franchises being rejuvenated emerged this week. One of the stars of 2006’s “John Tucker Must Die” has revealed the sequel is on pause… for now, at least.
Per People, Arielle Kebbel — who played chronic overachiever Carrie Schaeffer in the first film — initially revealed in March 2024 that she was working on a follow-up installment. However, she has now announced the disappointing new that it’s far from imminent.
Kebbel was a guest on the February 19 episode of the “Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe” podcast. On it, she went into detail about why the long-awaited sequel hasn’t yet come to fruition.
Arielle Kebbel Says the Studio’s ‘Slate Totally Changed’
GettySpeaking to Kaitlyn Bristowe, Arielle Kebbel explained, “So I started producing a few years ago. One of the first projects I ever sold was a sequel to John Tucker, which was very exciting, and the whole cast was back on board.”
Kebbel, 41, continued, “We worked with the studio for a while and then we got a script in right before the writers’ strike.”
She went on, saying, “Then post–writers’ strike we were supposed to pick up and, like, full-force move forward into casting and, like, ready to rock. And their slate totally changed. You know, that happens. That’s the game with studios and the film business. But it got ‘shelved,’ which is not a permanent thing, but it is not currently active.”
The “Gilmore Girls” and “Vampire Diaries” star concluded her discussion of the topic on a positive note, adding, “I have faith, you know? The moment will come. But it’s on pause for now.”
For anyone unfamiliar with “John Tucker Must Die,” IMDb concisely explains its plot. The text reads, “Three ex-girlfriends of a serial cheater set up their former lover to fall for the new girl in town so they can watch him get his heart broken.”
In addition to Kebbel, the movie starred Jesse Metcalfe as the eponymous John Tucker, Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Sophia Bush, and Jenny McCarthy. It was directed by “The Brady Bunch Movie,” “Private Parts,” and “Dr. Dolittle” director Betty Thomas.
Kebbel Is Keeping Busy Amid the ‘John Tucker Must Die’ Sequel Delay
Regardless of whether or not the sequel to “John Tucker Must Die” ever happens, Arielle Kebbel remains busy.
Per IMDb, in 2025, she appeared in the sci-fi thriller movie “Site” and had a main role in Fox’s action drama series “Rescue: HI-Surf.”
In 2026, she is starring in the Christian biographical drama movie “I Can Only Imagine 2” (currently in theaters) and will have a key role in the CBS neo-Western series “Marshals,” which is set to premiere on March 1.
“John Tucker Must Die” is currently streaming on Hulu. It only has a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it has achieved cult classic status, particularly in the context of 2000s teen comedies.
Hopefully, the sequel ends up happening. We wish Arielle Kebbel and everyone potentially involved in its development the best of luck in getting it off the ground.
