We’ve been getting a lot of news recently about a reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is being put together by Legendary Pictures. Just a few days ago, we learnt that Ryan and Andy Tohill are taking the directing reins for the project, produced by Fede Álvarez of The Evil Dead remake fame. But it also now seems that Legendary have big plans for the reboot, and have a particular desire to use it to launch a whole new Leatherface franchise.
According to a report from Variety, the producers want to start a new Texas Chainsaw continuity which disregards the many sequels and prequels we’ve had so far. The Northern Irish Tohill brothers have worked extensively in television, including on Game of Thrones, as well as in short films. Their first feature, The Dig, came out in 2018, and has been well-regarded enough to put them on the radar for Legendary Pictures.
As well as the Tohills, Texas Chainsaw will have the relatively unknown Chris Thomas Devlin as its writer. While we haven’t had any details yet about the plot, it may be that Legendary decide to go against recent installments and take the franchise out of the 1970s and into the present. The ambition to develop a new Leatherface series certainly ties in with the way that Tobe Hooper’s original horror movie spun out a number of sequels of varying quality, but with a recurring focus on the chainsaw-wielding character.
For those not in the know, Leatherface was already the most iconic figure from the original movies, and received more of a focus from 1990’s Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III onwards. The most recent Texas Chainsaw picture, 2017’s Leatherface, explored the origins of the character in more depth than had previously been seen. It does appear, then, that Legendary Pictures are hoping that a refreshed Texas Chainsaw Massacre can capitalize on the recent success of the Halloween sequels and set up a new run of films with Leatherface.
What do you think of these plans for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot, though? As ever, let us know in the comments down below.