Hope for a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie has been renewed, but after all the franchise’s failures, there’s now only one way left in which it could succeed. The trend of reboots and legacy sequels has been huge in horror, even if it hasn’t always been successful. Popular franchises like Scream and Halloween were brought back through these to great success, while others, like The Exorcist, ended up failing. In the latter category also falls The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but the franchise still refuses to die.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise began in 1974 with the movie of the same name, directed by Tobe Hooper. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre introduced the audience to a family of cannibals, among them Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who wore a mask of human skin. Leatherface’s weapon of choice is a chainsaw, becoming part of his signature look. Despite getting mixed reviews from critics, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a commercial success, spawning a franchise with nine movies so far. Now, the saga might be expanding again, but there’s only one way left for it to succeed.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Is Preparing A New Movie, But Nothing Is Set Yet
There Are Plans To Revive The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The production company Verve, which has owned the rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series since 2017, is meeting with prospective candidates for a new movie.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre saga has had at least one movie in every decade since the 1970s, but not all of them performed well. The latest entry in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie series was the 2022 legacy sequel of the same name, but instead of reviving the franchise, it sunk it even deeper. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a critical failure, and currently holds a 30% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and so no more movies have been made since then – but that seems to be about to change.
According to Deadline, the production company Verve, which has owned the rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series since 2017, is meeting with prospective candidates for a new movie. Although nothing is set yet, initial reports claimed that one of the frontrunners was JT Mollner, writer and director of Strange Darling, but he denied this on his official X account. Along with those reports about Mollner’s pitch were some that claimed Glen Powell was interested in reading his idea and potentially starring in it.
While there are no names attached to a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie yet, the truth is that the first steps to expanding the franchise again have been taken. Of course, whether Verve finds the right team to make a Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie or not is to be seen, but if it does happen, they really need to learn from past franchise mistakes.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Already Did Remakes, Prequels & Legacy Sequels (& Failed)
A Remake In 2003, Prequels In 2006 & 2017, & A Legacy Sequel In 2022
Since 1974, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie series has seen a bit of everything, and it has failed at most. Of course, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had its sequels, the first one in 1986, titled Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, then another one in 1990 titled Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, and finally in 1995 with The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 got mixed reactions due to it being a lot more graphic than the first movie and for adding black comedy, though it has gained a cult following over the years.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III didn’t do well, either, and it was called “generic” and “forgettable.” Unfortunately, The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre also failed, and it was mostly called out for its convoluted plot, though, just like Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, it gained a cult following. The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was retitled in 1997 as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, capitalizing on the rising star power of its lead actors: Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey.
The franchise then took a break from movies until 2003, when it came back to life with a remake. Of course, the movie made key changes to the original one, but it didn’t appeal to critics. However, it was successful enough at the box office to grant it a prequel in 2006: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which was a critical and commercial failure.
Leatherface got mixed reviews from critics, who mostly praised the cast’s performances, but was a commercial failure.
In 2013, the franchise was revived again with Texas Chainsaw 3D, a direct sequel to the first movie, pretty much doing what Halloween would go on to do in 2018. Once more, the movie was a critical failure and was called a “laughable attempt” to follow up the original movie. Four years later, the saga brought another prequel, this time to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Texas Chainsaw 3D, titled Leatherface. Unsurprisingly, Leatherface got mixed reviews from critics, who mostly praised the cast’s performances, but was a commercial failure.
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie’s Different Timelines Explained
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has one of horror’s most twisting, convoluted timelines, but the movie series can still be listed in chronological order.
The latest attempt to bring the saga back to life was in 2022, in Netflix’s legacy sequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie takes place 50 years after the events of the first movie, and brings back Sally Hardesty, though now played by Olwen Fouéré, in a small and disappointing role. Once more, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a critical failure. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie series, then, has already unsuccessfully gone through sequels, prequels, and legacy sequels, proving that, for another attempt to succeed, it has to go on a different path.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Would Benefit From A Full Reboot
It’s The Franchise’s Last Chance To Succeed
When all else has failed, the best path (and the only one left at this point) for a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie is a full reboot. Unlike a remake, a Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot would take the premise and concept of the original movie and do something new and modernized to appeal to a new audience, without losing the franchise’s essence. The only character that would have to return would obviously be Leatherface, as there truly can’t be a Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie without its legendary slasher.
This would allow the saga to create a new timeline and continuity and bring new characters, storylines, and backstories, without depending on any of the previous movies and characters. Even Leatherface’s backstory can be slightly different to set it apart from the rest of the movies in the saga, giving him some freshness but, again, without losing the character’s essence. At the time of writing, it’s unknown what Verve’s intention with Texas Chainsaw Massacre is, in the sense of making a sequel, prequel, remake, or reboot, but one can only hope that, whoever takes on the challenge, will learn from the saga’s past.
Source: Deadline.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Created by
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Tobe Hooper, Kim Henkel
- Cast
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Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Moseley, Bill Johnson, Viggo Mortensen, William Butler, Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Stephen Dorff, Lili Taylor, Olwen Fouéré, Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
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