Leatherface is returning for his ninth cinematic outing in this year’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot. The franchise has been terrifying audiences for almost 50 years now and its next chapter is coming soon. A direct follow-up to the 1974 Tobe Hooper original, the new movie hails from director David Blue Garcia and producer Fede Alvaraz (Don’t Breathe), and while it’s yet to be given a release date, we do now know its official title.
Get ready for this one, people, as it’s going to shock you. The official title for the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is… Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This information was revealed along with the MPAA’s decision to give the picture an R-rating for “strong bloody horror violence and gore, and language.” This back-to-basics title shouldn’t be a surprise, of course, as it’s clear that the filmmakers are taking a page from the Halloween franchise here. Blumhouse’s 2018 movie was likewise a direct sequel to the first film but went by the same moniker, while Paramount’s Scream reboot will do the same thing.
Strictly speaking, though, this is the first entry in the franchise to go with this specific wording. The 1974 opening chapter is called The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, while the 2003 remake then went by the more common spelling of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This 2021 effort, however, has done away with the definite article at the start.
Garcia’s film will follow Nell Hudson and Elsie Fisher as two sisters from San Francisco who travel to Texas on a business trip and run into Old Man Leatherface, now played by Mark Burnham. The franchise’s original final girl, Sarah Hardesty, is also back, but Marilyn Burns has been replaced in the role of Sally by Olwen Fouéré. Alvarez has teased that it’ll make use of predominantly old-school effects and trickery for its gruesome death scenes, too.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is on its way, but we’re just waiting on Legendary to tell us exactly when it’ll be here.