The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Franchise Timeline
One farmhouse. Four continuities. No clean road out.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise repeatedly returns to the 1974 original, then takes a different road through direct sequels, remakes, prequels, and legacy continuations.
Release order shows how the series evolved. The continuity notes below explain which films actually belong together, so a title change or returning character does not send you down the wrong branch.
The quick answer
Release order
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
- Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
- Leatherface (2017)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
First time watching? Release order is the safest default. Chronology is shown only when it materially changes the route.
The complete timeline
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Five travelers reach an isolated farmhouse and encounter a family built around slaughter.
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
A radio host and a driven lawman descend into the Sawyer family's underground lair.
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Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
Travelers on a Texas highway cross paths with another branch of Leatherface's family.
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Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
Four teenagers become stranded after prom and discover a new version of the family.
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
A new group of travelers meets the Hewitt family in a complete reimagining of the story.
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
The Hewitt family's violent history is exposed before the events of the 2003 remake.
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Texas Chainsaw 3D
A young woman inherits a Texas estate and the family secret hidden beneath it.
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Leatherface
An escape from a mental institution traces the making of a future masked killer.
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Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Idealistic newcomers disturb Leatherface after bringing new plans to a fading Texas town.
Read entryFour roads out of the 1974 farmhouse
The original film feeds several incompatible continuities. The 1986 sequel begins the first sequel line; the 2003 remake and its 2006 prequel form a separate duology; Leatherface (2017) and Texas Chainsaw 3D create a prequel-and-legacy branch around the 1974 film; and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) ignores the other sequels to continue directly from the original.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Frequently Asked Questions
How many Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies are in this guide?
This guide covers 9 released feature films, from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) through Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022). Because several sequels restart continuity, that total does not represent one uninterrupted storyline.
What is the best Texas Chainsaw Massacre watch order for a first-time viewer?
Start with the 1974 original, then use release order if you want to see the franchise change across decades. If you prefer a cleaner story, choose one continuity branch after the original instead of treating every film as a direct sequel.
Are all of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies connected?
No. The series contains multiple continuities that reuse the original film, the Sawyer family, and Leatherface while contradicting earlier sequels. Shared imagery does not necessarily mean two entries occupy the same timeline.
Which movies form the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake timeline?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) form a self-contained remake duology. The Beginning is set first, but release order preserves the way that version of the family was introduced.
Where does Leatherface (2017) fit?
Leatherface is a prequel to the 1974 film within the continuity used by Texas Chainsaw 3D. It is not a prequel to the 2003 remake, even though both branches retell the family history.
Is Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) connected to the original?
Yes. The 2022 film is a legacy sequel to the 1974 original and disregards the intervening sequels. It creates another two-film route rather than closing the older continuity branches.
Why are both Texas Chainsaw 3D and the 2022 film direct sequels to the original?
They belong to separate, mutually exclusive continuities. Texas Chainsaw 3D follows the 1974 film and leads into Leatherface (2017) as a prequel branch, while Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) ignores every prior sequel and creates its own legacy route from the original.
Is a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre project in development?
Yes. A24 acquired film and television rights in 2026, with a television series and a separate film project reported in development. Neither project has a confirmed release date, so they are not part of the watch order yet.