‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Director Explains Sally’s ‘Survivor’s Guilt’ and What She Brings to the Netflix Movie
Leatherface is one of the legendary original slasher villains thanks to Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The horror movie franchise continues to expand with each sequel, reboot, and prequel that hits screens around the world. Netflix is bringing Leatherface and the franchise’s original final girl character, Sally, in the upcoming sequel. Here’s what she brings to the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ brings Leatherface back after nearly 50 years
Texas Chainsaw Massacre picks up nearly 50 years after Hooper’s original. Melody (Sarah Yarkin), her younger sister, Lila (Elsie Fisher) head to the remote town of Harlow, Texas with their friends, Dante (Jacob Latimore) and Ruth (Nell Hudson). They’re social influencers who are searching out a potential new business venture that benefits them all.
Their dream soon turns to dust as they accidentally cross paths with the home of Leatherface. He’s a serial killer whose gory legacy still haunts the area’s residents. Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré) is among those who cannot seem to truly escape Leatherface after the 1973 massacre. However, she plans on getting her revenge.
Director David Blue Garcia talks about Sally’s ‘survivor’s guilt’
Comic Book Resource interviewed Texas Chainsaw Massacre David Blue Garcia about the upcoming horror movie. He talked about making a big return to the franchise. Scream and Halloween both brought back legacy characters and Texas Chainsaw Massacre is next in line to do so. Garcia expanded on why this is a popular trend.
“Yeah, in my opinion, the reason they’re bringing these characters back is that it’s fun to explore where they’ve been since these first films,” Garcia said. “It’s also a great way of passing the torch. We’re trying to tell this story and keep the story alive for another generation. But they’re still fans of the original out there, so many of us.”
Garcia continued: “So it’s fun. It’s a little bit of fanservice in the sense that we get to see what happened to a beloved character, but it’s also a way of introducing us to new protagonists that are going to continue the story into the future.”
Next, Garcia talked about where the film picks up with Sally and how she fits into the newest iteration of the horror series.
“Sally is dealing with her own survivor’s guilt,” Garcia said. “Her story feels unfinished because she’s never gotten the vengeance that she’s been looking for with Leatherface all these years. She hasn’t found him. So she’s able to relay some of her wisdom to young Lila and Melody in the story so that they don’t make the same mistakes.
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is heading to Netflix
Lionsgate originally planned to release more sequels after 2017’s Leatherface, but they ultimately lost the rights. As a result, Legendary acquired the movie rights. However, creative differences with filmmakers Ryan and Andy Tohill led to Garcia’s replacement. Texas Chainsaw Massacre had plans for a full theatrical release.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit countless productions and distribution strategies hard. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the many casualties. As a result, the movie is no longer getting a release in theaters. Rather, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is hitting the Netflix streaming service on Feb. 18.
