By Patrick Cremona

Published: Monday, 14 February 2022 at 12:00 am

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There can be few horror films more influential– or, indeed, more bone-chillingly terrifying – than Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so it’s no real surprise that the film has inspired all manner of sequels, reboots, and remakes over the years.

The latest film in the franchise, which arrives very shortly on Netflix, will see another new bunch of unwitting teenagers come face-to-face with cannibalistic serial killer Leatherface, picking up several decades after the events of the original film.

Time may have passed, but it seems events in the small Texan town of Harlow will be as nightmarish as ever – while it also looks like fans of the original can also expect some surprises along the way.

Read on for everything you need to know about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre release date

The new film will arrive exclusively on Netflix on Friday 18th February 2022.

It had originally been earmarked for a theatrical release at some point in 2021, but those plans were scrapped in favour of a straight-to-streaming release.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre plot

The film appears to serve as both a sequel to and a reboot of the original film – or a requel, to make use of the term used in the recent Scream film.

It follows a group of teens who travel to the small town of Harlow, Texas with simple plans to renovate the area – only for their arrival to inevitably reawaken the deadly Leatherface, who sets about picking them off one by one.

But there is also a close link to the original film in that Sally Hardesty – the only survivor from Leatherface’s earlier killing spree – soon emerges to take on the depraved chainsaw-wielder once again.

The official synopsis reads: “Melody, her teenage sister Lila, and their friends Dante and Ruth head to the remote town of Harlow, Texas to start an idealistic new business venture. But their dream soon turns into a waking nightmare when they accidentally disrupt the home of Leatherface, the deranged serial killer whose blood-soaked legacy continues to haunt the area’s residents — including Sally Hardesty, the sole survivor of his infamous 1973 massacre who’s hell-bent on seeking revenge.”

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre cast

The cast for the film is more or less entirely made up of newcomers to the franchise, with the new bunch of teens led by Happy Death Day 2U’s Sarah Yarkin and Eighth Grade’s Elsie Fisher, who take on the roles of sisters Melody and Lila.

They are joined by Jacob Latimore (The Chi) and Nell Hudson (Outlander) who play their close friends Dante and Ruth, while Jessica Allain (The Laundromat), Sam Douglas (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets), Jolyon Coy (Rare Beasts) and Moe Dunford (Vikings) also have roles.

Meanwhile, two key legacy characters are played by new actors – with Olwen Fouéré taking on the role of survivor Sally Hardesty (original actor Marilyn Burns sadly passed away in 2014) and Mark Burnham this time behind the mask as Leatherface.

However, there is one star from the original film returning, with Variety reporting that John Larroquette is set to narrate the opening of the film. The 1974 version opened with Larroquette delivering a news brief presenting the events of the film as a true story, and it seems likely he’ll be doing similar this time around.

The cast is rounded out by The OA’s Alice Krige as Mrs. Mc, and Aliens star William Hope as Sheriff Hathaway.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre trailer

You can check out a trailer for the new film below – which includes plenty of ominous shots of chilling chainsaws, menacing masks, and terrified teenagers.