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Every Character in ‘Leatherface’ Who Connects to a Previous ‘Chainsaw’ Film

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The saw is most definitely family in brand new prequel Leatherface.

Now available exclusively through DirecTV, with a traditional VOD release to follow on October 20, Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s Leatherface returns to the continuity of the original franchise, taking place before both the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre and 2013’s Texas Chainsaw 3D.

The events of Leatherface are set in two different time periods, kicking off 18 years before Tobe Hooper’s classic (1955) and then jumping ahead to just 8 years before Sally Hardesty and friends crossed paths with the twisted family (1965). One of the coolest things about the film, penned by Seth M. Sherwood, is that it’s loaded with fun ties to the franchise’s past, most of which go weirdly unacknowledged or only mentioned in passing.

To make sure you know exactly who’s who in Leatherface, we’ve put together a handy little guide that points out all of the fun character connections. We think you’ll get a whole lot more enjoyment out of the film if you’re armed with this knowledge going in…

TED HARDESTY

Early on in the film, we meet a young man and woman whose names we never learn; they appear very briefly in the film, confined to a single scene that plays during the opening credits. Only by looking on IMDb would you realize that the male character, played by Julian Kostov, is actually Ted Hardesty… the father of Sally and Franklin!

Writer Sherwood explained the subtle connection to us recently.

Yes, Ted Hardesty is Sally’s dad,” he told us months ago. “There was a later scene that went into it, but it was cut for budget reasons. I don’t know if we ever hear Ted’s last name in the movie as it is– but he’s there briefly. I mean, Grandpa Hardesty’s farm was in walking distance of the Sawyers, sooooo…

Eighteen years before Sally and Franklin arrived at the Sawyer house, their father had his own experience with the family as a young man. Pretty cool!

GRANDPA SAWYER

Easily the most bizarre character in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is Grandpa, an ancient corpse who feeds on human blood. Grandpa Sawyer appears in most films throughout the franchise, but Leatherface introduces us to him as a living, breathing old man for the very first time. The film even shows us his weapon of choice, serving to explain his bizarre role in the infamous dinner scene in the 1974 classic.

DRAYTON SAWYER

Referred to as “Cook” and “Old Man” in the original film, we learned in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 that Leatherface’s oldest brother is named Drayton Sawyer. The memorable character was played by Jim Siedow in the first two films, with Bill Moseley taking over the role for his brief appearance in Texas Chainsaw 3D. Drayton is back in Leatherface, giving us a glimpse into what he was like as a much younger man.

Hint: he was just as sick and twisted back then.

NUBBINS SAWYER

Another thing that Leatherface takes from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is the name Nubbins Sawyer, who is of course the same character known as “The Hitchhiker” in the original. We catch up with Nubbins at two different points in the film, first in 1955 as a child and then later in 1965, played by Dejan Angelov. The couple scenes that Nubbins appears in are darkly lit, but if you look closely you can spot the facial birthmark that identifies him as the sadistic character Edwin Neal played in the original film.

VERNA SAWYER

Verna Sawyer-Carson, the matriarch of the family, is played by The Conjuring star Lili Taylor in Leatherface, and the character has a fairly sizable role in the film. As we learned in Texas Chainsaw 3D, Verna is the mother of Leatherface and the grandmother of Heather Miller; in a fun little tribute, Verna was played in that film by the original Sally, Marilyn Burns.

Leatherface is really the first time we’ve ever gotten to know Verna, which is another little treat for longtime fans of the Chainsaw franchise.

HAL HARTMAN

The connections found in Leatherface aren’t just in regards to the Sawyer family; Stephen Dorff’s Hal Hartman, though never outright mentioned in the film, is the father of Chainsaw 3D‘s Burt Hartman (Paul Rae). Burt was one of the men who burnt down the Sawyer family home immediately after the events of the first film, and he later became mayor and waged war on the family. Dorff’s Hal Hartman is out for revenge in Leatherface, stopping at nothing, like his son later would, to put an end to the family once and for all.

As Sherwood explained to us, Hartman was also inspired by Dennis Hopper’s character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

From Chainsaw 2 I borrowed a few things. Obviously, the character names,” he explained. “Mainly though, the idea of a corrupt, mentally unstable Texas Ranger on a vendetta against the Sawyers gave birth to Hartman, the real villain of my story. Like Lefty, he’s out for revenge against the Sawyers over something they did to his family.”

Similarly, new character Clarice was inspired by Chainsaw 2‘s Chop Top.

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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