The upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre for Netflix is set to be a direct sequel to the original 1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with fans who saw the 2018 Halloween‘s approach to retconning predecessors seeing how well that paid off for that series. With Texas Chainsaw Massacre also having a complicated storyline featuring sequels, reboots, and prequels, one would think this new sequel would also attempt to streamline the overall mythology of the series, though producer Fede Álvarez recently detailed how this isn’t entirely the case. The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is expected to debut on Netflix on February 18, 2022.
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“When I say ‘direct sequel’ I wouldn’t say it skips everything,” Álvarez confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. “When movies do that, sometimes it feels a bit disrespectful to all the other films. 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.”
In the 2018 Halloween, there were specific plot points mentioned that had occurred in sequels that were directly negated, resulting in a more straightforward narrative. Álvarez’s comments about it being disrespectful to contradict the events of sequels could mean that, while events from previous films won’t be relevant to this experience, this sequel won’t actively negate the events of those films.
The filmmaker is no stranger to developing isolated films within an established franchise, having previously delivered audiences the 2013 Evil Dead, which wasn’t directly connected to previous films yet didn’t contradict what unfolded in those outings.
“It felt familiar somehow because it took us back to when I did Evil Dead,” Álvarez detailed of the experience. “Me and [writing partner] Rodo [Sayagues] really wanted to make sure we don’t disappoint the fans, and we are [among them]. So it’s pretty hardcore. But at the same time it has the simplicity of that first film. We wanted to come up with a very simple premise [with] a powerful domino effect. Everything is set up in the right place — all you have to do is push the first domino and everything will happen effortlessly.”
Following the announcement of this new Texas Chainsaw, fans were disappointed to learn that directors Andy and Ryan Tohill left the project shortly after production began due to “creative differences,” with David Blue Garcia then taking over the project. Álvarez noted that it was evident from early on that the original directors’ vision wasn’t aligning with his and the studio’s.
“They were great,” Álvarez said of the Tohills. “It was just going in a different direction. Me and the studio were not seeing it that way, and unfortunately we had to change.”
After already having been in talks with studio Legendary Pictures, Garcia was hired quickly after the Tohills’ exit, as he noted, “We started shooting not long after that. The original was really low-budget, and they were sort of flying by the seat of their pants and coming up with the shots every day. This was a very similar project for me, and it gives this film quite an energy.”
The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is set to hit Netflix on February 18, 2022.
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