By If Hollywood knows one thing it’s that if one studio makes a successful film using a gimmick, then using the exact same gimmick with your own property will bring the exact same amount of success and profit in return. It works every time! This is why we should find it as little surprise that reportedly the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is due to be remade, but in the same vein as Blumhouse’s Halloween remake it will act as a direct sequel to the original.
Fede Alvarez (of the stellar The Evil Dead remake) is set to produce, which instills a bit of confidence. If he were directing I’d be sitting outside the theater waiting right now, but as it stands I’m lukewarm.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has already tried to retcon and reboot itself so many times at this point that it’s kind of farcical. Texas Chainsaw 3D set itself up to be something of a direct sequel to the original while injecting its own continuity (which never amounted to anything since it wasn’t very good) while The Next Generation also tried its hand as a direct sequel but was such an unbelievable mess (that’s incredibly watchable, and I love it dearly) that all parties involved pretty well fled in embarrassment. I have plenty of reason to believe that yet another attempt will meet similar results.
Also, why would anyone want to undo The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2? It’s absolutely wild and wonderful, containing one of Bill Moseley’s greatest performances, and you really can’t top it. Sure, it’s more tongue-in-cheek, but it also adds so much color, texture, and life to the cannibal family. It would be a joy to see other creative minds use those characters for new works. Casting all that aside is wasting a golden opportunity.
It’s too early to say what (if anything) will happen for sure, but I hope this remake doesn’t trash all the weirdness that Tobe Hooper’s work has to offer. Sometimes that weirdness is where there’s the most potential to make something remarkable.
The same goes to whatever poor souls are tasked with remaking Face/Off. I shudder to think of how that’ll turn out.
Fede Alvarez Producing Next ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Film! [Exclusive] [Bloody Disgusting]
