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Fans of horror movies probably believe the last thing that we need is another Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. Writer and director Tobe Hooper’s relentless 1974 slasher (still considered one of the best horror movies ever) inspired seven follow-ups that most would say have not quite lived up to the original - including a remake, two prequels, a 3D sequel, and one infamous ‘90s reboot starring future Oscar winners Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellwegger. That being said, I would normally be inclined to agree with those against the upcoming ninth installment (possibly one of the next 2021 Netflix movies to look forward to), but when you hear who is involved and everything else we know about the new film so far, you might just be willing to say, “Let ‘er rip!”
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Will Stream On Netflix
After Lionsgate lost the rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise just months after releasing the prequel Leatherface in 2017, it was reported the following August that Legendary Pictures was negotiating to take over the series with plans for both big screen and small screen installments. Fast forward to August 2021 after the officially titled Texas Chainsaw Massacre is completed and The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the new movie will, indeed, be a small screen release after Netflix acquired global distribution rights. As of now, we do not know when it will be available to stream, but, based on its foreboding tagline, it is expected to come out sometime later in 2021.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Is A Continuation Of Tobe Hooper’s Classic
For anyone dreading the idea of another remake after 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, no need to worry because (despite its very similar title), Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a direct sequel to the 1974 original. According to Bloody Disgusting, the film will be set in modern day, picking up decades after the events of the the late Tobe Hooper’s first film and ignore any of the other installments, similarly to what 2018’s Halloween did. Also like that acclaimed hit (which is another sequel with an unnecessarily identical title to its predecessor), Texas Chainsaw Massacre is bringing in a new cast of characters.
Alice Krige And Elsie Fisher Appear In The New Texas Chainsaw Massacre Cast
Eighteen-year-old Elsie Fisher (Eight Grade, Despicable Me, and Castle Rock) comes closer to Scream Queen status as wheelchair-bound photographer Dreama, the younger sister of businesswoman Melody (Outlander’s Nell Hudson), in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre cast. Also, according to Bloody Disgusting, Jacob Latimore of The Chi fame and British actress Jessica Allain (no stranger to horror after appearing in 2018’s Thriller) play a couple who are also close friends of the sisters. Established Scream Queen Alice Krige (who recently played Gretel and Hansel’s Witch) also stars along with Mandy star Olwen Fouéré taking over for the late Marilyn Burns as Sally Hardesty, the only character from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre to survive the killing spree of Leatherface, who is also getting a new… face.
Mark Burnham Is The New Leatherface In Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Many actors have played Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise over the years, but the first and most famous is Gunnar Hansen, who unfortunately passed away at the age of 68 in 2015. Bloody Disgusting also reported in 2020, along with the announcement of the other new cast members, that Mark Burnham (likely known best for an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and an episode of the FX crime drama Snowfall to name a few) is succeeding the iconic, cannibalistic, power tool-wielding slasher, who will be depicted in his 60s in the sequel. Portraying the main villain as an elder is another element the Texas Chainsaw Massacre has in common with the 2018 Halloween sequel, as well as the involvement of two big fans of the original.
Fede Alvarez And Rodo Sayagues Are Producing Texas Chainsaw Massacre
If there is anything that gives me any faith in this new Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel decades in the making, it is the fact that Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues are backing the project as producers and story writers, as Deadline reported in 2019. The Uruguayan duo’s most notable previous collaborations have been on 2013’s Evil Dead (Alvarez’s feature-length debut and one of the most satisfying horror remakes, if you ask me) as well as the 2016 hit thriller Don’t Breathe and its recent 2021 sequel, Don’t Breathe 2, which is Sayagues’ directorial debut. Neither filmmaker is helming this new film, but they did handpick the director themselves.
David Blue Garcia Is Directing Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Also according to Deadline, David Blue Garcia, a former cinematographer who made his directorial debut with the 2018 thriller Tejano, is helming Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Texas native (how fitting!) was actually not the first choice to direct the horror film, which was originally headed by Ryan and Andy Tohill (known for the 2018 thriller The Dig) until creative differences led to their exit and their footage getting scrapped altogether. Garcia would then start from scratch when hired as the new director, although the original screenplay was still being used.
Chris Thomas Devlin Wrote The Screenplay For Texas Chainsaw Massacre
As Deadline reported, the script for Texas Chainsaw Massacre (based on the story by Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues and with story editing from the upcoming Scream co-director Tyler Gillet) is written by Chris Thomas Devlin. The legacy horror film is the first film written by Devlin, who has previously worked on the sets of many short films, including the 2012 sci-fi comedy Dr. Harvey or: How I Stole Einstein’s Brain and Lost My Mind. The first-time screenwriter already has a few other projects he wrote in development, such as another horror flick called Cobwebs, starring Lizzy Caplan and The Boys cast member Antony Starr.
Because I believe Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues gave us one of the best Evil Dead movies with their 2013 soft reboot and I have seen plenty of good Netflix horror movies, I have an oddly optimistic feeling about Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It could be the nightmare that fans of the original have been dreaming to see for decades.
