Exclusive: Leatherface producers talk hardcore prequel and Day of the Dead!

LEATHERFACE, the latest reboot of the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE franchise, is currently in pre-production at an undisclosed location, with INSIDE duo Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo at the helm. While we don't know much about the project thus far, we do know that the cast consists of Stephen Dorff, Angela Bettis, Sam Strike and James Bloor, and one of those last two lads will actually be playing Leatherface, although we're unsure which one thanks to the mysterious nature of the movie's plot.

Here's a refresher on said plot:  

A prequel focusing on teenage Leatherface, who escapes from a mental hospital with three other inmates, kidnaps a young nurse and takes her on a road trip from hell. Along the way, they are pursued by an equally deranged lawman out for revenge.

I recently had occasion to chat with two of the film's producers - Christa Campbell and Lati Grobman - who also shepherded the successful TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D to theaters a couple of years ago. While they were predictably tight-lipped about specific plot points and plans for the film, I managed to coax a few juicy quotes out of them.

In regards to if we'll actually see Leatherface in action (after all, he's a teenager in this film), Grobman quickly assuaged any worry:

Do you think we would make a film about Leatherface and not see him in action? It will be hardcore. Maybe the hardest core you've seen to date. These directors are sick f*cks - in a good way. 

That's a plus! Expanding on that, the producers said that if they learned any lessons from TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D, it's that they didn't push the envelope far enough; they assured me they'll be correcting that this time around:

Some negative feedback said we didn’t go far enough with pushing the limits of horror.  With our new directors, Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, anyone who is familiar with their previous French horror films, Inside, Among the Living or Livid, they’ll know we’re not going to shy away from violence to make something that is PG-13.  This is going to be very cool, psychologically disturbing violent horror at its best.

I then wondered it, like TEXAS CHAINSAW, this one would be released in 3D:

We have not decided if it will be 3D but it looks like the answer will probably be no.

And is another LEATHERFACE/TEXAS CHAINSAW is in the offing after this one? Campbell said:

It all depends if Leatherface is loved by the fans and does well at the box office. Obviously we would love to continue the franchise as it's a dream of ours.

Meanwhile, Grobman has a message for the horror community regarding this:

Of course. But we need to stop piracy and that means you fans, go see the film, stop downloading free movies, that's a real crime, and it will shut off the chainsaw forever.

Grobman and Campbell

In addition to LEATHERFACE, Grobman and Campbell are producing a DAY OF THE DEAD remake, which was announced back in 2013. While we haven't heard much on that front in a while, the film is still alive and well according to the producers.

Yes, it’s very much alive.  We’re working on the script and excited about the direction of the project... We have the best team on earth: Boaz Davidson, Mark Gill and Beth O'Brian.  We are lucky to have each and every one of these people and with them we will make sure the script is what it needs to be before we go to production.

You'll recall there already was a DAY OF THE DEAD remake a handful of years ago, one that hardly resembled George Romero's cult classic at all. I inquired whether or not this new iteration would take place in a bunker as Romero's did:

We’re opening up the world a little more so it doesn’t all take place in the bunker but a significant amount of why the original movie took place in a bunker speaks to the themes of the film and we wouldn’t want to shy away from that.

We would like to go back to being true to George Romero as this is where it all came from. He had something magical in the first movie that is kind of hard to explain, but the message is way more complex than just zombies drinking blood. It's about society and human nature and what would you do to survive, would you stay true to your morals or destroy everything in your way to be alive and powerful. 

Finally, the producers made it clear they want to get this thing made at all costs, and even reached out to you, the fans, for input:

If it takes 10 years so be it, we want to make it right. Let me turn this question to your readers: what would they want to see in the next Day of the Dead?

Well guys, you heard the ladies: what do YOU want to see in the next DAY OF THE DEAD?