- Date: August 29, 1997
- Type: Movie
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (originally known as The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is a 1994 independent American slasher film written and directed by Kim Henkel, and starring Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, both before they became mainstream stars. The film is a loose remake of and quasi-sequel to the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which Henkel had co-written with Tobe Hooper. It only has loose connections to the previous two sequel films, which are mentioned in the film's opening prologue as "two minor, yet apparently related incidents" which happened after the events of the original film. The plot centers on a group of teenagers who find themselves in a secluded area of forest on their prom night, only to cross paths with a family of murderers, among them the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface. The movie was filmed in Pflugerville, Texas in 1994 on a budget of $600,000, and was released at several film festivals under the title, The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was then shelved for three years, and was re-cut and released under the title, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation in late summer 1997, after its two lead actors had both become major Hollywood stars.