The Return Of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”

(October 6, 2006) — When New Line Cinema and producer Michael Bay released a remake of the horror movie classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” in 2003 and counted worldwide box office receipts that totaled over $100 million, a follow-up perhaps seemed inevitable.

While the original 1974 film spawned two sequels (note for trivia hounds: 1994?s “The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre” starred two up and coming stars by the names of Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger), producers decided rather than moving forward with the story to instead go back and explore the origins of Leatherface and the infamous Hewitt family. Three years later, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” brings a chilling new chapter of the story to moviegoers everywhere.

When Access Hollywood recently sat down with the star of the film Jordana Brewster in New York City, she told us she was a big fan of the recent remake. ?I loved the 2003 movie with Jessica Biel. I thought it was really fun an I loved the way it was shot.? Then when word got around town of making another movie in the series, it turned out it was she who sought out the studio seeking a role. ?I really do love horror films so I wanted to be a part of it. So when I knew they were making a prequel, I really wanted to be the girl in this Texas Chainsaw film.?

In playing Chrissie, who is the pivotal character of the young cast, it was integral to the film to steer clear away from the female stereotypes of horror movies past. ?I wanted to play Chrissie really strong but at the same time. I mean you don?t want to overcompensate and you don?t want to make it really unrealistic. The fact is, it is really scary.? And added ?So [director] Jonathan Liebesman and I worked really hard to make her really human and find a balance.?

Jordana admitted films of this kind are required to contain several certain aspects the fans expect. Not one to disappoint, Jordana revealed what she feels are some of the horror film ?Must Haves.? ?Well I think you have to have a couple of scares where they?re the fake scares.You know where people jump and it?s like something silly. You know, like fake scares. You gotta have a couple of those. You gotta have some laughter, cause I think the audience has to warm up. I mean you gotta have a bunch of deaths, obviously. And a whole lotta blood. I think those are must haves.?

The filmmakers and director Jonathan Liebesman wanted their young cast to carry an offset kinship onto the screen. Two weeks before principal photography began it was strongly encouraged, if not required, for them to go out to movies together, shop, share meals, and generally socialize. ?In this film it was really important that there was a camaraderie, because that translates on film. We did hang out and rehearse. And we hung out a lot in Austin. We built those relationships and we also built the back stories for our characters.? What formed was a unique bond between the actors that would be apparent as their characters find themselves meeting their ultimate fate at the hands of Leatherface. ?And hopefully they don?t want us to die by the third scene in the film.?

To see and hear how Leatherface did or did not fit in with the cast on set and Jordana’s take on Horror Movie Fashion, view our Access Hollywood Video Interview.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” hits theatres nationwide October 6th.