Leatherface (upcoming film)

Plot

Leatherface is a prequel to 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre that revolves around the mystery of which of the teenage psychopaths introduced will ultimately become the chainsaw wielding killer known as Leatherface, as they escape with a nurse from a mental institution with a revenge-stricken lawman in pursuit.

Cast

Concept

In January 2013, it was revealed that due to the success of Texas Chainsaw 3D, Millennium Films began planning a prequel film to be called Texas Chainsaw 4 which was expected to begin filming later in 2013 in the state of Louisiana. Even though there have been over a half dozen films in the franchise, including a remake and prequel to the remake, calling the film Texas Chainsaw 4 was an indicator that it was a follow-up to the third film in the original continuity, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. Millennium Films Chairman Avi Lerner shared that the project was brought to him by Christa Campbell and Lati Grobman. Millennium signed on to produce and Lionsgate agreed to distribute the finished product.

Pre-production

On August 13, 2014, Seth M. Sherwood was hired to write the film, retitled Leatherface. On October 31, 2014, Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo were hired to direct the film. On March 9, 2015, Sam Strike joined the cast to play Jackson. On March 11, 2015, James Bloor joined the cast. On March 31, 2015, Stephen Dorff joined the cast to play Hal Hartman. On April 27, 2015, Jessica Madsen joined the cast. On May 5, 2015, Lili Taylor joined the cast, replacing Angela Bettis who had dropped out due to a scheduling conflict. On May 6, 2015, Vanessa Grasse joined the cast to play Lizzy, a young nurse at a mental hospital.

Filming

Principal photography began on May 18, 2015, shooting on locations in Bulgaria. While five of the Texas Chainsaw franchise's seven films have been shot in Texas and one in California and one in Louisiana, Bulgarian filming marks the first time a film in the franchise has been shot outside the United States. Filming was expected to continue through June 2015. Seth M. Sherwood wrote some of the film's locations into the script as homage to Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. As Sherwood explains, "The original Leatherface, Chainsaw 3, took the idea of the backwoods isolation of the original and exploded it tenfold. I always think of the locations of this film—the scrub brush filled badlands and remote roadside outposts as feeling like another world—a dark fairy tale land in some way. I filled my story with similar locations to hopefully capture a similar vibe." The fictional Sawyer farm, seen in the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, is a key location in Leatherface.

Continuity

Serving as a direct prequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Leatherface was written by Seth M. Sherwood to also act as a prelude to the series as a whole. Sherwood intentionally distanced the film from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, while respecting the fictional events of the original film and its various sequels. Leatherface's characterisation is based on Gunnar Hansen's performance from the original film. Certain character names, such as Drayton, Nubbins, and the Sawyer surname, were pulled from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2. The creation of the deranged lawman Hal Hartman was inspired by Lefty Enright, a Texas Ranger that appeared in Part 2, while Clarice was originally conceived as a tribute to Chop Top Sawyer. Hal Hartman is the father of Burt Hartman, a vigilante character that first appeared in Texas Chainsaw 3D. The character Verna Sawyer (Lili Taylor) was played by Marilyn Burns in Texas Chainsaw 3D.