The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is not the first horror franchise to undergo reboots, and it surely won’t be the last. However, it has been through a surprising number of iterations. And with news that the series has hired another director, it looks like yet another one is in the works.
Variety reports that Legendary Pictures has hired Ryan and Andy Tohill to direct a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. The directing team most recently helmed The Dig. The film will reportedly be written by Chris Thomas Devlin and The Girl In the Spider’s Web’s Fede Alvarez, the latter of whom made a name for himself in the horror genre, in part, by directing the Evil Dead reboot in 2013.
Last year, it was first reported that Legendary was looking for a team that could do for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre what Blumhouse did for the Halloween franchise. And that’s not a bad move, at least from a strategic standpoint. After years of controversial or poorly conceived reboots, David Gordon Green’s 2018 Halloween went back to the basics (and brought back Jamie Lee Curtis), and wound up being a hit with both critics and audiences, spawning two upcoming sequels.
Similar success has eluded The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Since Tobe Hooper’s cult classic was first released in 1974, there have been numerous attempts at continuing Leatherface’s macabre story. But none have been very good. Thus far, there have been three direct sequels, the most recent being the bizarre 1995 installment starring Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger.
There have also been two attempts at rebooting the franchise entirely. First, Platinum Dunes took a shot in 2003. That film, starring Jessica Biel, was successful enough to lead to a 2006 prequel, which didn’t lead anywhere. Then in 2013, Lionsgate took a stab (or a saw?) at the series with Texas Chainsaw 3D, and then followed that up with 2017’s Leatherface.
Now it’s Legendary Pictures’ turn. Taking a page out of Blumhouse’s book, the studio plans to have their Texas Chainsaw Massacre serve as a direct sequel to the original film. (That means fans can forget all the attempts at explaining Leatherface and his cannibalistic family’s origins. Thankfully.) It’s not clear yet where the Tohills will pick up the story -- the 1974 film ends with its only survivor, Sally, laughing hysterically as she drives away from Leatherface’s house of horrors.
But in a recent statement, Fede Alvarez seemed confident that this new iteration of Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be one that fans can look forward to:
The Tohills' vision is exactly what the fans want. It’s violent, exciting and so depraved that it will stay with you forever.
Legendary Pictures has not yet set a release date for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But you can check out all of 2020’s upcoming horror releases if you’re looking for something spooky to watch.
