Oh Leatherface, you never seem to leave us. Since the release of the smash hit in 1974, which was filmed on a shoestring budget, Hollywood has desperately sought to capture the magic of the power tool-wielding killer. In looking at the seven film installments of the franchise, we’ve learned a few things: 1. The Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey combination in 1994 did little to interest the franchise’s fan base; 2. Even Viggo Mortensen had to star in a horror movie at one point; 3. Low critics’ ratings do little to keep an audience away in the modern age.
‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ 
Year of release: 1974
Starring: Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface)
Domestic Gross: $30,859,000
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 91% approval
‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’
Year of release: 1986
Starring: Dennis Hopper
Domestic Gross: $8,025,872
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 45% approval
‘Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III’
Year of release: 1990
Starring: Viggo Mortensen
Domestic Gross: $5,765,562
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 14% approval
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation’
Year of Release: 1994
Starring: Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey
Domestic Gross: $44,272
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 17% approval
‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’
Year of Release: 2003
Starring: Jessica Biel
Domestic Gross: $80,571,655
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 36% approval
‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning’
Year of Release: 2006
Starring: Jordana Brewster
Domestic Gross: $39,517,763
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 12% approval
‘Texas Chainsaw 3D’
Year of Release: 2013
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Trey Songz
Domestic Earnings First Weekend: $23,000,000 (estimated)
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating: 22% approval
