Get your popcorn, a Coke, and a blanket, cuz. It’s time to dive deep into the sordid tale behind one of the wackiest entries in one of the wackiest horror franchises known to man. Today’s film features a fantastic-sounding Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel trilogy that never was, a producer allegedly claiming a writer’s work as his own, and some of the best ideas you’ve ever heard turned into some of the worst. It’s time to take a 3D look at all the questionable ingredients in this hot pile of Sawyer family chili. This is what happened to Texas Chainsaw 3D.
After two innovative forays into the franchise with the 2003 remake and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema parted ways, letting the rights revert to original creators Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. Seeing an opportunity, Twisted Pictures, led by Mark Burg and Oren Koules, partnered with Lionsgate around 2009 to secure a multi-year deal.
The plan? A bold, low-budget, high-return trilogy model similar to Saw.
Writer Steven Susco (The Grudge) crafted a story picking up immediately after the original 1974 film, continuing from Sally Hardesty’s escape. The trilogy was envisioned as:
But Lionsgate had other ideas.
They pushed for:
The final film? Somewhere in between: modern, 3D, and R-rated. The original plan was dead and the chaos was just beginning.
Writers Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan were approached by a producer they later described as “shady.” They pitched a concept, coincidentally similar to Susco’s: picking up right after the original film and transitioning into the present with 3D elements. According to them:
Instead of backing out, they:
They got the job and ended up working with the same producer.
With a script in place, Lionsgate and producer Carl Mazzocone hired director John Luessenhop. Fresh off Takers, Luessenhop brought a sleek, stylized look. For a… Texas Chainsaw Massacre film.
Leatherface was played by Dan Yeager, a non-actor discovered through construction work connections. He was essentially cast on the spot.
The supporting cast leaned heavily modern:
Yes, the timeline makes absolutely no sense. Heather is kidnapped in 1973 and somehow ends up in her twenties in 2012. Don’t worry about it. Just eat your popcorn.
To its credit, the production brought back several original cast members:
Hansen returned partly because he liked the direct-sequel concept and because he was finally paid what he felt he deserved.
According to Marcus and Sullivan (and corroborated by a journalist), the original script had:
Instead, many sequences were replaced with:
The reported $20 million budget? Supposedly slashed to $8 million when Lionsgate only covered distribution. Filming began in 2011 in Louisiana under brutal conditions:
At one point, Adam Marcus had to step in as a stereographer. The crew worked around the clock. Writers stayed on set for 20-hour stretches rewriting scenes on the fly. Just another Texas Chainsaw production nightmare.
The legendary KNB EFX Group, led by Greg Nicotero, handled the effects. The original cut earned an NC-17 rating. To secure an R-rating:
One standout moment? Leatherface stitching a face onto his own. Owie.
The opening sequence:
It’s an impressive effort, regardless of what follows.
A key location, the Carson Mansion in Louisiana, reportedly came with a ghost story. According to Alexandra Daddario:
Make of that what you will.
The production used dual RED Epic cameras, which were cutting-edge at the time (also used on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Amazing Spider-Man). But:
Texas Chainsaw 3D hit theaters in January 2013. Results:
Not bad for a troubled January horror release.
Critics were far less kind. Common complaints:
Some even called it embarrassing to the franchise.
Despite the backlash, the film kept the series alive, leading to Leatherface (2017). And somehow… that makes this one look better in hindsight.
For all its flaws, the film does have highlights:
And hey, we got a full 3D entry in the franchise. It might not be what anyone asked for, but it is exactly what happened to Texas Chainsaw 3D.
A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!