Leatherface has returned, as seen in the first look images for Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Serving as a legacy sequel that ties into the original 1974 movie, the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is directed by David Blue Garcia and written by Chris Thomas Devlin. It follows Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Nell Hudson, and Jacob Latimore as a group of friends whose road trip goes awry when they encounter Leatherface in Texas. The first photos reveal the silhouette of Leatherface along with an image of the new cast.
“It’s basically the same character, who is still alive,” producer Fede Alvarez told Entertainment Weekly, referring to Leatherface’s return and noting that it’s the same character from the first movie. “Our take on it was this guy probably disappeared after everything he’s done. You know, how do you catch a guy who has a mask? Once he removes the mask and runs away, it’s very easy for him to hide somewhere. This story will pick it up many, many years after the original story. He’s been in hiding for a long, long time, trying to be a good person. These people arriving in this town are going to awaken the giant.”
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On the new cast, Alvarez added, “I think the first movie really hit a nerve when portraying that culture clash between the countryside and the city. Back in the ’70s, the hippies were representing the youth of the city. This time, they’re more like millennial hipsters from Austin who are very entrepreneurial and have a dream of getting away from the city and back to the countryside. They’re trying to gentrify small-town America — and let’s just say they encounter some pushback.”
In the original movie, Leatherface was played by late horror legend Gunnar Hansen. Sadly, Hansen passed away in 2015, though he had a cameo in 2013’s Texas Chainsaw 3D. Mark Burnham (Lowlife) is the new Leatherface, and speaking about casting the role, Alvarez said, “It was quite a search. Gunnar Hansen passed away. If Gunnar had been alive, I’m pretty sure he would have played [the part], so we were trying to find someone that could have been Gunnar today. We tried to find the best next thing. When [Burnham] showed up, we definitely felt like, ‘This is the guy.’ He had all the physicality we needed from him on camera. He has such an imposing figure.”
Fede Alvarez won’t say if the new movie is intended to launch a new series of movies or if this will be a standalone story. That’s to avoid giving out spoilers, as he first wants fans to see how Texas Chainsaw Massacre on Netflix plays out. Though he did say that if “there’s a chance” to make another one, he’s happy to get the team back together to do so. A potential future will also depend on how well the new installment is received by fans, as most of the sequels have seemingly had trouble connecting with big fans of the original movie.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre will start streaming on Netflix on Feb. 18, 2022.
