Kevin Bacon Honors ‘Tremors’ Co-Star Fred Ward After His Death at 79

Fred Ward’s death announced earlier on Friday was a sour note to end the week, especially given his long career full of rich characters and memorable roles. One of his best represents one of the top movie duos in science fiction and horror history with Tremors, alongside Kevin Bacon.

Bacon and Ward played partners in the film and partners off-camera, bonding over more than just the gigantic carnivorous worms terrorizing Perfection, Nevada. Valentine McKee and Earl Bass were heroic together on-screen but also brought levity to the story that helped it stand out. Even in the thick of being terrorized, the duo and their fellow townsfolk were always looking for a monetary angle.

The role led to Bacon sharing a few words about Ward on Friday, honoring his late friend and co-star in a touching message. “So sad to hear about Fred Ward. When it came to battling underground worms, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner,” Bacon wrote. “I will always remember chatting about his love of Django Reinhardt and jazz guitar during our long, hot days in the high desert. Rest In Peace, Fred.”

Ward would return for the sequel in 1996 and was rumored to return for the reboot series in 2018, with Bacon in the lead. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bacon has always had a soft spot for the role, and he tried his hardest to bring the reboot to life.

“We were around the 25-year anniversary. I went to Blumhouse, and they were totally into the idea,” Bacon said at the time. “Universal didn’t want to remake it as a feature, and also maybe because it didn’t work as a feature the first time. So we put it aside. Then they came back to me and said, ‘What would you think about doing it as a series?”

Bacon had been approached about a return in the direct-to-video sequels but declined due to the desire for a theatrical release. He called it the only film he’d ever done that he wanted to revisit in a 2021 interview, though the series never made it to air after landing with SyFy. “I would still love to do it, believe me,” Bacon continued. “Maybe it needs to be the 30th anniversary or the 35th. We’ll keep going.”

Given the fun he and Ward had in the original, seeing them together again would have been a superb cinematic experience. Not sure the world needs more “graboids,” but who could turn down a serious attempt at a high-quality sequel.