January is a notorious dumping ground for movies that studios have little hope for hitting big, and this often means a smattering of horror releases. But Texas Chainsaw 3D is already beating the odds. Sure, it's a sequel to a franchise that's long been thought dead. Yes, it's been scorned by critics who've called it "pointless," "terrible," and "exploitative." But this weekend this horror flick faced off at the box office against such critically heralded Academy Award contenders as Django Unchained, Les Miserables and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and it came out on top!
Already, the feature with an estimated budget of $8 million has made $23 million, so talk of a sequel was bound to surface in short order. Bloody Disgusting has a source that claims Texas Chainsaw 3D producers will move forward on a sequel, and the site insists there could be as many as six more Texas Chainsaw movies on the way. When it comes to a maniac with a chainsaw, the possibilities seem endless. But hopefully the moviemakers will work a little harder next time, since critics weren't the only ones disappointed with this iteration of Leatherface.
The LA Times reports Texas Chainsaw 3D earned a Cinemascore of C+. The poll taken of people who saw the movie opening weekend—and thereby are assumed to be those most interested in seeing it—reflects that those of you who turned out for the horror movie's debut were pleased by it, but far from thrilled. Nonetheless, the Times notes horror movies tend to score poorly on this test, which might reflect its cultural bias. Or maybe horror fans are just expecting more from a Leatherface-fronted franchise.
