Not one, but two directors are going to try and clean this franchise up.
I am just going to say it right now, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is a continuity shitstorm. Keeping track of Leatherface’s timeline over the years has been next to impossible, thanks to Platinum Dunes having absolutely no idea which direction they want to take the iconic killer created by Tobe Hooper in 1974. So now, because they are fresh out of ideas, they’re going to shift their focus on another origin story to tell us how Leatherface came to be a chainsaw-wielding maniac. It’s not necessarily something we need to know and I doubt many people are really interested in this side of the story, but maybe the addition of a couple of fantastic directors could be just the thing this franchise needs.
Bloody Disgusting got the word that the deadly tandem behind Inside and Livid, Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, have been tapped to helm Leatherface, the next installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. It’s nice to see a horror franchise as important as this one being handed over to a couple of guys who certainly know a thing or two about the genre. But as inspired as this choice is, are the directors of the film really going to put this entire franchise back on track? I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that one.
The film was penned by Seth M. Sherwood, who honestly hasn’t done a whole hell of a lot, but here’s what he came up with:
In this prequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a young nurse is kidnapped by four violent teens who escape from a mental hospital and take her on a road trip from hell. Pursued by an equally deranged lawman out for revenge, one of these teens is destined for tragedy and horrors that will destroy his mind; molding him into the monster we now call Leatherface.
Okay, so that doesn’t sound terrible. But it begs the question of whether or not we really need to know this part of the story. The terrifying beauty of an iconic cinematic killer like Leatherface is not knowing the entire story behind the mask. That’s what makes them frightening, there is no method to their madness. I’m not writing Leatherface off, far from it actually, because I think that if they stick with this storyline and stop jumping all over the place, they might be onto something. With a couple of directors who know their way around the horror genre, I’d say that this one is in some pretty good hands right now. What do you guys think?
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I think they should just leave the Chainsaw Massacre series as it is, in truth I much prefer the original.
Not only that, but I’d like to see these guys do something original. This franchise has been more bad than good and it’s really getting old.
True, I think with many of the films later in the series they relied too heavily on gore, whereas the original was scary because of suggestion.
For sure, and that’s probably what we’re going to continue to see.
Aw damn it, as I was reading this page I had the last image at the bottom at a position where I thought a decent amount of cleavage was going to be shown. And, I mean. . . . .I guess it is. But I was being misled. (That part is my own fault. Serves me right for not scrolling properly.)
In all seriousness, I actually don’t mind this idea one bit. I think I might courteously disagree that Leatherface doesn’t deserve a more intimate backstory. I personally will find him more terrifying if I know precisely what the fuck happened to the guy to make him go so bad. But I see what you are saying as well. Sometimes these icons of horror are best when they act out of randomness; attacking innocents from a plethora of angles. . . just because they can. But I am actually now left wanting to know more.
I think that’s in part due to how well you sell these projects Ryan
Hah! Cleavage can be a dangerous thing! That’s very true, knowing their backstory can definitely add an even scarier layer to the character, but only IF their backstory is terrifying and not a pointless waste of time. I guess that’s what I’m struggling with here. As long as it’s good though, right?
‘As long as its good’ I will agree will certainly have to apply to how strongly they develop said backstory. Yes, if it is convincingly mapped out, I’ll be on board. if, however, it’s mismanaged and a series of cliches over and over again, I’ll want to be Leatherface attacking the studio! lol
Haha. That could actually make for a fun movie I bet! A universe where these horror icons actually exist and are used to make movies. Leatherface gets so upset about the terrible films he’s in that he turns on the studio. Kind of like ‘Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon’, just with Leatherface. I’d watch that!
Saw: For Real.
One of your audience members has set a trap, and the trap is the studio. Spoiler: you’re all fucked.
I think it’s a fantastic idea to put Maury and Bustillo in the director’s chair for the TCM franchise.
Yeah, If I’m not mistaken they were courted to direct the Nightmare on Elm Street reboot as well before backing out (along with a few other iconic franchises). I wonder what made them decide to land on Leatherface?
I really don’t think that there will be another entry in the Nightmare franchise because that last movie was just so horrible. I am really interested to see what will happen with these directors adding to the Texas Chainsaw series because I really enjoyed Inside. I didn’t like the last Chainsaw movie at all because there were so many horrible moments in it but if they get the right people this could be a great entry that will hopefully be up to par with the original three movies.
Yeah man, I agree. It’s hard to be excited about it because of the shit we’ve seen lately. The directors are certainly giving some hope, but I’ll wait here on the fence for a while.