An update to the below story as our sources inside the production refute this report stating that it’s (unfortunately) untrue.

Below is the original, unedited story.

Before there was Jason Voorhees and even Freddy Krueger, there was Leatherface.

Gunnar Hansen was the man behind the skin-grafted mask in Tobe Hooper’s 1974 slasher, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Now, with the prequel in pre-production, Hansen is telling convention attendees that he was contacted about returning to the role that has since become an icon. He also knew quite a bit about the new TCM…

Halloween Daily News writes in from the Mad Monster Party horror convention in Charlotte, North Carolina in which Hansen told them he was originally contacted for a role in Leatherface, but has yet to hear back.

According to the site, Hansen could be returning to the franchise and reprising his ‘Boss Sawyer’ role from 2013’s Texas Chainsaw 3D.

Hansen revealed that the upcoming prequel will take place 15 years prior to Texas Chainsaw 3D, which means that, Boss Sawyer and the rest of the Sawyer clan who were slaughtered in the opening of the seventh film (including Bill Moseley and other Chainsaw alumni), would still be alive and kicking.

He said he has been contacted by one of the producers of the new film about reprising the role and playing a 15-years-younger version of Boss Sawyer. He also stated that he would like to return to this role in the upcoming film, but has not heard anything since that initial conversation.

“And now I hear that they’re casting, and I haven’t heard anything else, so we’ll see,” Hansen said.

The film centers around a violent teen who one day will become Leatherface. He 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.

Stephen Dorff’s plays said lawman, who was described to us as a lean, mean Texas Ranger who has a vendetta against the teen boy who grows up to become Leatherface.

Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo is directing the film with Angela Bettis playing Mother Sawyer, and newcomers Sam Strike and James Bloor as two of three boys – one of which transforms into Leatherface.