DirectorFede Alvarezwon over countless genre fans with his 2013 filmEvil Dead, a reboot of the beloved horror series.
So it’s pretty hardcore.
But at the same time it has the simplicity of that first film.
Netflix’s ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ premieres Feb. 18, 2022.Yana Blajeva/Netflix
We wanted to come up with a very simple premise [with] a powerful domino effect.
Our fatal flaw is that we ignore the history that came before us."
It mixes a lot of important real-life issues with horror themes, which is always something I love."
The cast of Netflix’s ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’.Yana Blajeva/Netflix
Back in the ’70s, the hippies were representing the youth of the city.
They’re trying to gentrify small-town America and let’s just say they encounter some pushback."
“It’s basically the same character, who is still alive,” says Alvarez.
“Our take on it was this guy probably disappeared after everything he’s done.
You know, how do you catch a guy who has a mask?
Once he removes the mask and runs away, it’s very easy for him to hide somewhere.
This story will pick it up many, many years after the original story.
He’s been in hiding for a long, long time, trying to be a good person.
These people arriving in this town are going to awaken the giant.”
“It was quite a search,” says Alvarez.
“Gunnar Hansen passed away.
We tried to find the best next thing.
When [Burnham] showed up, we definitely felt like, ‘This is the guy.’
He had all the physicality we needed from him on camera.
He has such an imposing figure.”
The latest movie is the eighth in the franchise since the hugely successful and influential first film.
But in recent times, the Leatherface Cinematic Universe has fallen into a state of disrepair.
“When I say ‘direct sequel’ I wouldn’t say it skips everything,” he explains.
“When movies do that, sometimes it feels a bit disrespectful to all the other films.
Some people loveTexas 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.
“You’re 12, 13 and suddenly discover this thing called horror, right?”
“It’s always been this nightmarish thing, my experience of watching that movie.
The experience of watchingTexas Chain Sawwill surely stick with Yarkin.
“I am scared of everything,” says Yarkin.
“I got scared watchingLegally Blondeas a kid.
I went, ‘I’m not going to sit through this movie unless I get this role.’
It was nighttime and I was like, ‘I think it’s time.
I have to start learning what I’m doing to go shoot this.'”
She continues, “It sets a tone I haven’t seen in a lot of other movies.
It feelsnotstudio-made; it feels like an indie.
That was a mistake.
It is truly so horrifying.”
Then, on August 2020, Deadlinereportedthat they had exited the project because of “creative differences.”
“They were great,” says Alvarez of the directors.
“It was just going in a different direction.
Me and the studio were not seeing it that way, and unfortunately we had to change.”
The Tohills were replaced by the Austin-based Garcia.
“I remember it vividly,” he says.
“I was in high school, and it was playing on cable.
Within days of accepting his new assignment, Garcia was on a plane headed to Bulgaria.
“We started shooting not long after that,” he says.
This was a very similar project for me, and it gives this film quite an energy.”
“Fede hammered, ‘Practical, practical, practical,'” says the director.
“It was really hard, to be honest,” says the actress.
“I’m grateful for everything I learned and the opportunity, of course.
A lot of blood, rain.
We’re freezing, we’re wet, we’re sticky, over and over.
You’re like, ‘What?’
Then you switch to nights at some point and things change.
The night manager was shocked at first, but he just got used to it.”
“I would never want to be too specific,” he says.
“Any thoughts are kind of a spoiler.
But I’m sure if there’s a chance to make another one, we’ll be ready.”
Texas Chainsaw Massacrepremieres Feb. 18 on Netflix.
See the exclusive first-look images above.
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