You know what this world really doesn't need? Another Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. You know what we need even less? Another Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie in 3D. Fortunately the project has been in pre-production for years now with little sign of moving forward...unfortunately that changed today.
Variety has learned that Alexandra Daddario is now in final talks to star as the female lead in the John Luessenhop-directed horror pic. The actress is best known for her turn as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Theif, but also has a recurring role on the USA series White Collar and played in the Farrelly Brothers' comedy Hall Pass. The new Leatherface film won't be a continuation of the rebooted franchise, which began with Marcus Nispel's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003 and continued with Jonathan Liebesman's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning in 2006, but instead will be a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper's 1974 classic. The film will be Luessenhop's first foray into the horror genre, his last film being last year's Takers. The project is currently targeting an October 2012 release date.
What really irritates me about this story is that Variety says that producers "are hoping the film will launch a new fright franchise featuring the iconic, chainsaw-loving villain Leatherface and his oddball family." Unless I'm mistaken, wasn't that the idea behind the 2003 remake? How did that pan out? It seems that this project is a reaction to the low box office numbers for The Beginning, but should these filmmakers be allowed to set this kind of precedent? Two reboots within a ten year span is remarkably stupid and I can only pray that this movie never starts production.
