During his heartfelt introductions at the Los Angeles and London premieres for this movie, Adam Green cited how his hero Wes Craven’s death had affected him so strongly, that it brought him back to his own series again, and made him realize that Hatchet is one of his own biggest contributions to the genre. While Craven’s death put the notion of returning to Hatchet in Green’s mind, it was another of his heroes, George A. Romero, specifically telling him to make more Hatchet films for the fans, that solidified his decision to make a fourth Hatchet. Romero passed away just thirty-seven days before the surprise unveiling of this movie on August 22, 2017, and Green stated that this movie would not exist if not for Romero’s pep talk assuring him that what he did as a filmmaker mattered, and was needed for the genre. At the London premiere on August 26, 2017, a photo of the moment when Romero had told Green to make another Hatchet film was put up on the screen behind Green. An emotional Green pointed to the sky and dedicated the film to Wes Craven and George A. Romero, who inspired him to ever try and make horror films in the first place. The film itself has a dedication to both filmmakers in the end credits.
