Where it belongs
Continuity & connections
A remake, not a sequel to the original film’s events. The 2006 film is its prequel; Thomas Hewitt belongs to this continuity rather than being a universal name for every Leatherface.
Inside this dossier
Erin and the Hewitt family
The group’s attempt to find help after picking up a distressed young woman leads them toward the Hewitt family. The remake reworks the original’s pattern of seeking assistance from the very people who control the danger, but gives the central travelers and household different identities.
Nispel, Kosar, and Pearl’s return
Marcus Nispel directed Scott Kosar’s screenplay, with Daniel Pearl returning to photograph a new interpretation of material he had first filmed in 1973. The film became the opening feature in Platinum Dunes’ remake-centered horror history.
Steve Jablonsky’s remake score
Steve Jablonsky composed the remake’s score. The soundtrack belongs to a film with a more overtly designed visual and sonic finish than the 1974 production, and the home-video supplements include material relevant to its technical construction.
The remake’s theatrical and home-video life
The film opened in the United States in October 2003. Its commercial life led to a prequel rather than a direct continuation of Erin’s story: The Beginning returned to the Hewitt household in 2006.