The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

The original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has achieved staggering success since it first shocked and stunned audiences in 1974 with its bone chilling realism. The horrifying story, drawn from a series of true events, is considered by many to be one of the greatest thrillers of all time and a landmark of terror that has influenced countless films in its wake. Although the film was made on a budget of less than $150,000, it has grossed more than $100 Million worldwide and established itself as a cult classic to legions of fans around the globe. The film has entered into the iconography of popular culture by way of its menacing evil character, "Leatherface." The character remains one of the most recognizable classic villains, while the film has become the benchmark of terror by which modern films are measured.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre marks the film debut of production company Platinum Dunes, a joint producing venture between filmmaker Michael Bay and Radar Pictures. Bay founded Platinum Dunes along with partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller.

"The idea was floated right before we started this company," explains producer Michael Bay. "I wanted to do The Texas Chainsaw Massacre because of name value alone. It has a mythical quality to it as one of the very first movies of its kind."

Executive producer and Radar CEO Ted Field also recalls, "when Michael and I decided to go into business together, we quickly realized that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was the perfect film with which to launch the Platinum Dunes label. It is an iconic story, one that immediately establishes what Platinum Dunes is all about and sets the tone for what is to come."

"We loved the idea because the core audience of this movie is males under 25, and although almost all of them have heard of the title, 90% of them have not seen the original film," adds executive producer Andrew Form.

Though several increasingly diminishing sequels to the original film have been made throughout the years, the filmmakers felt the most chilling elements of the original had been left behind. "The first misconception of the original film is that it was a gory film," explains executive producer Brad Fuller. "It had many extremely disturbing moments, but only four seconds of blood. It was more conceptually horrifying than it was visually."

To get the project off the ground and generate interest from film distributors, Bay directed a teaser comprised of a black screen with sounds of Leatherface stalking and chasing a young woman in and around an old house. A quick visual was inserted in the last 10 seconds, along with the whine of a chainsaw. The results were amazingly effective.

The teaser generated incredible buzz throughout the industry, which resulted in deals for domestic distribution through New Line Cinema and international distribution throughout the world with Focus Features.

Ted Field explains, "we were able to raise the money to produce the film with incredible alacrity. While international audiences usually respond well to thrillers, the reactions to Michael’s trailer exceeded our wildest expectations."

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