‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Producer Wants You to Decide Franchise Continuity
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the first installment in the horror movie franchise since 2017’s Leatherface. The series continuity is even convoluted for many dedicated fans. However, Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre initially aimed to simplify things in the modern requel format. Story writer and producer Fede Álvarez explained how he wants fans to view the current franchise continuity.
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 slasher classic
Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a similar requel format to David Gordon Green’s Halloween. Both horror films are direct sequels to their respective originals that started it all. Leatherface and Michael Myers both survived multiple installments and their characters went through multiple changes. Some of these directions worked for fans, while others didn’t.
Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre is set around 50 years after Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror film. Leatherface went into hiding in a remote Texas town. A group of young friends enters the town with the idea of redesigning it in their image. They seek to create a new community that will allow them to thrive away from the violence of modern cities. However, they stumbled upon the greatest violence of all.
Meanwhile, “final girl” Sally (Olwen Fouéré) hasn’t forgotten about the ordeal from the 1973 massacre that left all of her friends dead. Now, she’s back to settle things with Leatherface once and for all.
Fede Álvarez wants horror fans to decide the franchise continuity
Entertainment Weekly interviewed Álvarez to talk about the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre installment that hit the Netflix streaming service. There’s a lot of talk about the requel format and what installments fans consider “canon.” Álvarez is hesitant to say that the newest film completely ignores all of the sequels that came before it.
“When I say ‘direct sequel’ I wouldn’t say it skips everything,” Álvarez said. “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.”
Anything goes in Netflix’s ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’
Many fans across social media called out Texas Chainsaw Massacre for its reasoning. The nearly 50-year time jump puts Leatherface in his 70s. However, he now has more physical strength than ever before. Texas Chainsaw Massacre aims for what is violent, gory, and fun, rather than what necessarily makes sense for the sake of the plot and the characters.
Additionally, Leatherface’s family is nowhere to be seen. The story doesn’t make any references to the infamous family, leaving Leatherface to hunt the young adults by himself. Perhaps a Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel could make more sense of the narrative that truly does what it wants.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.
