Is Netflix's Texas Chainsaw Massacre A Direct Sequel To The Original?
There are few horror movies out there that are more inspirational and highly regarded than Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." The film provided a blueprint that many other bloodbath-centric movies were more than happy to follow, but the raw tenacity of Hooper's masterpiece from 1974 remains unparalleled. Inspired by the crimes of real-life serial killer Ed Gein, the sun-soaked slasher follows a group of young people who fall prey to a family of cannibals who reside in a forgotten corner of the titular state. Of course, the icon of the movie is Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), a chainsaw-wielding maniac who slaughters human beings like cattle.
As is the case with most popular movies, "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" spawned several sequels, prequels, and reboots, most of which are regarded as a drop in quality compared to the seminal 1974 flick. The franchise also abandoned continuity long ago, but producer Fede Alvarez and Netflix's upcoming "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" will aim to restore some semblance of balance to the universe. But will it ignore the other films in the bloody saga?
Is this another retconned sequel?
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper's original that will catch up with Leatherface in the modern age. Details are being kept close to the vest for now, but the basic story will revolve around old-man Leatherface as he tries to lay low following his previous atrocities. That said, old habits die hard, and the arrival of a group of outsiders might just awaken his inner savage.
While "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" will attempt to bring some logic back to the franchise, it won't take a leaf out of 2018's "Halloween" sequel by retconning its predecessors. "When movies do that, sometimes it feels a bit disrespectful to all the other films," Fede Alvarez told Entertainment Weekly. "Some people love Texas Chainsaw 2. I love a lot of things about that movie — it's so wacky and of its time. But the rest is such a mess canon-wise. I think it's up to you to decide when and how the events of the other movies happen."
It remains to be seen how "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" will acknowledge the rest of the franchise, but one thing is sure: horror fans will be delighted to see Leatherface back in action.