The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has experienced highs and lows since Leatherface first revved up his preferred mayhem tool in 1973. Universal’s decision to base a haunted house around the film and iconic villain shows interest in Texas Chainsaw Massacre persists. However, the recent decision to cease updates on the most recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre game is a downer.
Enter the Haunted House, Exit the Videogame
Is it still a Texas massacre if all the wild stuff happens in Nevada? Horror fans looking for an immersive experience will likely care more about dodging frights when they enter Leatherface’s scary domicile in the new Universal Horror Unleashed haunted house attraction at Las Vegas’ Area15. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of four haunted house attractions, and it will be open for business and mayhem all year round. It’s stunning to see Leatherface’s attraction alongside one featuring classic Universal Monsters, considering Leatherface was considered too extreme for the mainstream. That’s changed.
Way back in 1983, Wizard Video tested commercial waters with a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Atari 2600 videogame that proved disastrously controversial. The saw remained silent on the gaming front for decades, but eventually roared back. Gun Interactive developed an intriguing game, but now it's sputtering like a chainsaw out of gas. Gun Interactive announced it will no longer produce updates and new material. Without a new movie to generate interest in the game, it seems time to put things on hold. The haunted house, meanwhile, opens on August 14, 2025.
Sawing through the Legacy
Never dismiss the vital importance of timing when making a sequel. The massive success of the original film did not spawn an immediate sequel, although there was talk of producing a movie in 1980 featuring Marilyn Burns. The project stalled, but a successful 1983 New Line Cinema re-release pulled in $6 million at the box office. 1986 saw a sequel made, but it was a rushed attempt to salvage Toby Hooper's failed three-picture deal with Cannon Films.
Overall, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series had incredible ups and downs, including the third film, which underperformed but later developed a following, and the massively successful Platinum Dunes remake that earned more than $100 million at the global box office. Subsequent entries delivered scatter-shot performance, with the latest movie hitting number two on Netflix’s charts in its first week of release. No new word on a forthcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot, but we’ll surely see one eventually.