John Larroquette Returning for Netflix's Texas Chainsaw Massacre Sequel After 48 Years
Nearly 50 years ago, a mostly unknown actor provided the narration for the opening of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which billed the story as being based on true events, with narrator John Larroquette finally returning to the series for the upcoming sequel coming to Netflix. While there have been a number of sequels in the franchise, some of which billing themselves as direct sequels, this new take on the material sounds to have more connective tissue to what came before it, with the inclusion of Larroquette sure to excite longtime fans of the original movie. The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is set to hit Netflix on February 18th.
"It felt important to honor the original TCM at every opportunity," director David Blue Garcia shared with Variety. "John's voice is iconic in the original opening and we thought it would help set the perfect tone in our own intro. It's also a subtle way of letting the fans know they're in good hands."
Narratively, there are a number of connections to the original movie, but Larroquette's return isn't the only direct connection to the 1974 horror masterpiece, with Garcia also noting they managed to incorporate one of the original chainsaws from that effort.
"I can't wait for fans to analyze and find all of the callbacks, some of which aren't even intentional. I swear some stuff just happened and it's kind of freaky," Garcia expressed. "I will say that we shot with one of the original, working Poulan chainsaws from the original film. On set, every morning I would walk by the prop cart, touch it and get its blessing for the day. I wanted some of its '70s magic."
Netflix describes the new film, "Melody (Sarah Yarkin), her teenage sister Lila (Elsie Fisher), and their friends Dante (Jacob Latimore) and Ruth (Nell Hudson), head to the remote town of Harlow, Texas to start an idealistic new business venture. But their dream soon turns into a waking nightmare when they accidentally disrupt the home of Leatherface, the deranged serial killer whose blood-soaked legacy continues to haunt the area's residents -- including Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré), the sole survivor of his infamous 1973 massacre who's hell-bent on seeking revenge."
Stay tuned for details on Texas Chainsaw Massacre before it hits Netflix on February 18th.
Are you excited for Larroquette's return? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!