⌛ CHRONICLE VAULT
Universes/The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

WATCH AND READING ORDER · RESEARCHED TIMELINE

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Leatherface’s screen histories, licensed comics, prose and narrative games in fictional chronology. The 1973 original, Hewitt remake and later alternate sequels have different histories; uncertain connections remain inclusive with visible qualifications.

31 works indexed45 sources

WHERE TO START

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: watch and reading order

The 1973 original is shared by several incompatible sequel routes; the Hewitt remake has a different family history. The original-film game begins months before the massacre, and Rush Week advances five years to 1978. Publisher-dated comics keep their stated years and intervals; other licensed stories use qualified era windows.

Story order follows events within a history. Release order follows when works came out. Use the filters below to compare them; estimates and earlier scenes stay labelled.

Original film / early sequels / game Leatherface → 1973 → Texas Chainsaw 3D 1973 → 2022 legacy sequel Hewitt family — remake / comics Licensed crossovers / alternate scenarios
Open the full timeline ↓

Original 1973 massacre, game prequel and early sequels. III and Next Generation contain loose or conflicting continuity details; do not silently rewrite them to agree.

Media type

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Reading the timelineConfirmed, assumed and disputed stories appear together. “est.” marks inference. “After” means relative order. Separate continuities retain their own history.

SELECTED CONTINUITY

Original film / early sequels / game

Spring wildflower season, 1973
Game / shortConfirmed canonReleased 2022

Petals — Maria Flores narrative prologue

Spring wildflower season, 1973 Relative / stated chronology

Maria’s photographic trip leads to the family.

Placement Creator confirms narrative prequel to the main game. Date window follows spring flowers / missing-person case, not the real release year; exact day remains unverified.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original free release; download / platform requirements apply.

Play official free prologue ↗Play official free prologue
Spring 1973; before Ana’s search
Web fictionConfirmed canonReleased 2022 onward

Maria Flores case — official broadcast / letters / web-story trail

Spring 1973; before Ana’s search Relative / stated chronology

Narrative clues expand the missing-person case.

Placement Official broadcast says missing more than two months; individual prop dates need original comparison. Do not force every clue into the same day or treat teasers as separate films.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Actual official script and missing-person material. Early claim Maria is dead was superseded by later game content.

Read original narrative broadcast ↗Read original narrative broadcast
April 1973; months before August massacre
GameConfirmed canonReleased 2023 onward DLC

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre — main narrative / story DLC

April 1973; months before August massacre Relative / stated chronology

Ana and her friends search for Maria.

Placement Creator explicitly describes this as film-connected canon. Match outcomes vary; group character / map expansions rather than inventing another story date per cosmetic pack.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original-film game and DLC; edition / server / region availability should be checked.

View official game ↗View official game
August 18–19, 1973

SAME STORY POSITION · FORMATS & ADAPTATIONS

FilmConfirmed canonReleased 1974

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

August 18–19, 1973 Relative / stated chronology

A road trip ends at the family’s farmhouse.

Placement Official date starts August 18; overnight pursuit follows. Shared original retained by these histories; do not substitute its release year.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original-film edition product from the retailer-linked edition reference; stock and current price not asserted.

View on Amazon US ↗The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) — 4K UHD
GameNon-canon connectedReleased 1983

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Atari 2600

est. August 1973; original film climax adaptation Evidence-based estimate

Play Leatherface’s pursuit of escaping visitors.

Placement Original manual explicitly recreates the movie climax. Same-story adaptation beside the original, not a new 1983 event.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original instructions; legitimate current Amazon cartridge match not verified.

Read original game manual ↗Read original game manual
PinballNon-canon connectedReleased 2023 announcement / 2024 distribution

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre — Spooky physical pinball

est. August 1973; original-film adaptation Evidence-based estimate

The family’s hunt becomes a physical pinball scenario.

Placement Film-derived modes grouped beside the original story. Distinct from the Legendary / Zen digital table; no new fictional release-year sequel.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact licensed physical table. Informational link; no hardware purchase is made or implied.

Read official table / mode information ↗Read official table / mode information
Live attractionPromotional onlyReleased 2025 onward

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Universal Horror Unleashed adaptation

est. August 1973; original-film story setting Evidence-based estimate

Visitors enter a live version of the original film’s rural terror.

Placement Operator explicitly calls it film-inspired, based on 1974. Group beside source story; performance year does not date the fictional massacre. Full walkthrough / changed scripts not inspected.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Corresponding operator information; no ticket purchased, and no current run / price assumed beyond the cited page.

Read official attraction setting ↗Read official attraction setting
1978
Game / DLCConfirmed canonReleased 2024

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre — Rush Week

1978; five years after the 1973 main story Evidence-based estimate

Johnny targets a sorority house.

Placement Creative director explicitly states five years later. The story’s 1978 clock is separate from the mode’s 2024 release. Exact season / day still requires original date props.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original-film game and DLC; edition / server / region availability should be checked.

View official game ↗View official game
1986; thirteen years after the massacre
FilmConfirmed canonReleased 1986

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

1986; thirteen years after the massacre Relative / stated chronology

A radio host and a lawman confront the family.

Placement Thirteen-year interval from 1973, not a sequel happening in 1974. Original film dates / cut-specific details remain to audit.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
est. late 1980s–early 1990s

SAME STORY POSITION · FORMATS & ADAPTATIONS

FilmDisputed canonReleased 1990

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

est. late 1980s–early 1990s Evidence-based estimate

Travelers meet another branch of the family.

Placement Loose sequel whose opening account / family relationships do not align cleanly with other follow-ups. Kept inclusively with dispute label, not a fabricated extra film chronology.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
ComicAssumed canonReleased 1991–1992

Leatherface #1–4 — Northstar adaptation

est. late 1980s–early 1990s; same story as III Evidence-based estimate

The third film’s story retold with altered details.

Placement Same-story adaptation grouped with III. Changes / expanded ending are qualified rather than counted as a sequel.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Correct Northstar four-issue series; current stock / collected edition not asserted.

View corresponding comic issues ↗View corresponding comic issues
May 22, 1994
FilmAssumed canonReleased 1995 premiere / 1997 wider release

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre / The Next Generation

May 22, 1994 Relative / stated chronology

Prom-goers encounter Leatherface’s family.

Placement Reported opening date, not a release-year guess. Alternate edits are one film; original date caption still needs direct inspection.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer

Era / story position not yet established

These entries still lack enough evidence for a useful story-era insertion. Supported estimates and source-story retellings appear in the main timeline; remaining gaps need further research.

SELECTED CONTINUITY

Leatherface → 1973 → Texas Chainsaw 3D

est. mid-1950s
Film segment · Embedded segmentConfirmed canonReleased 2017

Leatherface (2017) — childhood prologue

est. mid-1950s Evidence-based estimate

Young Jedidiah is taken from his family.

Placement Separated from the later escape. Candidate 1955 needs original date-card verification; production dossier not a full film inspection.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
est. mid-1960s; ten years after childhood opening
FilmConfirmed canonReleased 2017

Leatherface (2017) — asylum escape

est. mid-1960s; ten years after childhood opening Evidence-based estimate

An escape and hostage journey leads toward Leatherface.

Placement Original film / production dossier comparison still needed for exact 1965 card. Calendar estimate remains explicit.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
August 18–19, 1973
FilmConfirmed canonReleased 1974

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

August 18–19, 1973 Relative / stated chronology

A road trip ends at the family’s farmhouse.

Placement Official date starts August 18; overnight pursuit follows. Shared original retained by these histories; do not substitute its release year.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original-film edition product from the retailer-linked edition reference; stock and current price not asserted.

View on Amazon US ↗The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) — 4K UHD
August 1973; immediately after the original
Film segment · Embedded segmentConfirmed canonReleased 2013

Texas Chainsaw 3D — farmhouse aftermath

August 1973; immediately after the original Relative / stated chronology

A mob attacks the Sawyer farmhouse.

Placement Immediate aftermath belongs next to the 1973 film, not beside the modern main story.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
est. 2012; modern era
FilmConfirmed canonReleased 2013

Texas Chainsaw 3D — Heather’s inheritance

est. 2012; modern era Evidence-based estimate

Heather inherits a family home and its secret.

Placement Contemporary setting / technology and review support 2012; apparent character-age contradiction is disclosed rather than silently inventing an early-1990s date. Exact original props remain to check.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer

Era / story position not yet established

These entries still lack enough evidence for a useful story-era insertion. Supported estimates and source-story retellings appear in the main timeline; remaining gaps need further research.

SELECTED CONTINUITY

1973 → 2022 legacy sequel

August 18–19, 1973
FilmConfirmed canonReleased 1974

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

August 18–19, 1973 Relative / stated chronology

A road trip ends at the family’s farmhouse.

Placement Official date starts August 18; overnight pursuit follows. Shared original retained by these histories; do not substitute its release year.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact original-film edition product from the retailer-linked edition reference; stock and current price not asserted.

View on Amazon US ↗The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) — 4K UHD
est. early 2020s; nearly fifty years after 1973

SAME STORY POSITION · FORMATS & ADAPTATIONS

FilmConfirmed canonReleased 2022

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

est. early 2020s; nearly fifty years after 1973 Evidence-based estimate

New arrivals awaken Leatherface in Harlow.

Placement Netflix says nearly fifty years, so do not convert that into an exact 2023 date. Sally’s continuing life distinguishes this from III’s account.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact streaming film, not the 2003 remake; subscription / availability vary.

Watch on Netflix ↗Watch on Netflix
GameNon-canon connectedReleased 2024; Pinball FX Midnight branding later

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball — Zen digital table

est. early 2020s; 2022-film adaptation Evidence-based estimate

The bus massacre and final hunt become pinball modes.

Placement Same story position as the Legendary film; real table release does not move the events to 2024. Different work from Spooky’s physical table.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact licensed Legendary table; purchase / host-platform requirements vary.

View official digital table ↗View official digital table

Era / story position not yet established

These entries still lack enough evidence for a useful story-era insertion. Supported estimates and source-story retellings appear in the main timeline; remaining gaps need further research.

SELECTED CONTINUITY

Hewitt family — remake / comics

August 1939
Film segment · Embedded segmentConfirmed canonReleased 2006

The Beginning — Thomas Hewitt’s birth

August 1939 Relative / stated chronology

An abandoned infant becomes part of the Hewitt family.

Placement Original disc chapter date independently cross-checked against scene reviews. Exact day not forced from uninspected props.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
Korean War era, 1950–1953; later frame unverifiedOVERLAPPING ERA
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2007

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: By Himself

Korean War era, 1950–1953; later frame unverified Relative / stated chronology

Hoyt’s captivity reveals an earlier encounter with cannibalism.

Placement Historical-war window applies to the recollection, not automatically every framing panel. Original full interior needed to split and date that frame.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Publisher confirms By Himself is included; exact Amazon edition unverified.

View containing comic collection ↗View containing comic collection
Thomas’s teenage years; est. 1950sOVERLAPPING ERA
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2007

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: About a Boy

Thomas’s teenage years; est. 1950s Evidence-based estimate

Teenage Thomas struggles with school and violence.

Placement Publisher explicitly places a teenage Thomas before The Beginning. With 1939 birth, a 1950s window is supported; full interior needed for exact year.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Correct one-shot; no unverified film product substituted.

View official comic ↗View official comic
View containing volume 2 — View containing volume 2 ↗
July 1969
FilmConfirmed canonReleased 2006

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

July 1969 Relative / stated chronology

The slaughterhouse closes and the family turns to murder.

Placement Main narrative follows the earlier birth scene; July 1969 reported in disc chapter listing. Not a prequel to the Sawyer original.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Rights-holder inventory identifies this film. Exact Amazon edition remains unverified.

View official franchise / trailer ↗View official franchise / trailer
est. 1969–1973 Hewitt eraOVERLAPPING ERA
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2007

New Line Cinema’s House of Horror — chainsaw-salesman story

est. 1969–1973 Hewitt era Evidence-based estimate

A traveling chainsaw salesman stops in Texas.

Placement A separate short in an anthology also containing Freddy. Shared publication is not a story crossover; interior year not verified.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact containing issue; no unrelated movie product substituted.

View official anthology issue ↗View official anthology issue
View containing volume 2 — View containing volume 2 ↗
est. 1969–1973; before the remakeOVERLAPPING ERA
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2006

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Grind #1–3

est. 1969–1973; before the remake Evidence-based estimate

A stranded traveling group encounters the Hewitts.

Placement Grouped continuous three-issue run. Licensed prequel scope supports a broad family-killing era, not an exact 2006 story date; interior calendar unverified.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact publisher series page. Complete lettered preview not recovered.

View original comic edition ↗View original comic edition
Summer 1972
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2005

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Special #1

Summer 1972 Relative / stated chronology

Escaped bank robbers stop at the Hewitt store.

Placement Original publisher explicitly prints Fuller, Texas, Summer 1972. Cover variants do not create extra stories.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact licensed one-shot; current retailer availability unverified.

View original publisher / edition ↗View original publisher / edition
August 1973; police aftermath August 20

SAME STORY POSITION · FORMATS & ADAPTATIONS

FilmConfirmed canonReleased 2003

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

August 1973; police aftermath August 20 Relative / stated chronology

Erin and her friends encounter the Hewitts.

Placement Different family history from the 1974 film. Official licensed novel blurb explicitly dates police discovery August 20, 1973; exact central-day prop audit remains open.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact licensed 2003 film product; not the 1974 original. Amazon match unverified.

View official film edition ↗View official film edition
NovelAssumed canonReleased 2004

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Stephen Hand novelization

August 1973; earlier personal history embedded Relative / stated chronology

The remake in expanded prose.

Placement Same-story adaptation beside the remake. Publisher blurb dates discovery; expanded interior dates remain to inspect.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact retailer title, author and ISBN checked against licensed edition record. Out-of-print availability may vary.

View on Amazon US ↗The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Stephen Hand
est. late 1973–1974; months after the massacre
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2006–2007

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre #1–6 — WildStorm run

est. late 1973–1974; months after the massacre Evidence-based estimate

Investigators pursue the Hewitt family’s aftermath.

Placement Publisher explicitly says months following the murders. Actual exact inter-issue dates / any flashbacks remain uninspected; series kept together.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact 144-page containing edition; Amazon edition not yet verified.

View official six-issue collection ↗View official six-issue collection
2003; thirty years after the massacre
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2007

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Cut!

2003; thirty years after the massacre Relative / stated chronology

Film-school visitors investigate the Hewitt legend.

Placement Original publisher states thirty-year interval from 1973. This is a story date supported by text, not inferred from its 2007 publication.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact licensed one-shot; original complete interior unavailable.

View official comic ↗View official comic
View containing volume 2 — View containing volume 2 ↗

Era / story position not yet established

These entries still lack enough evidence for a useful story-era insertion. Supported estimates and source-story retellings appear in the main timeline; remaining gaps need further research.

Twins’ childhood → adulthood; exact calendar unverifiedERA / ORDER OPEN
ComicAssumed canonReleased 2008

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Raising Cain #1–3

Twins’ childhood → adulthood; exact calendar unverified Placement unresolved

Hewitt twins follow different paths after an attempted escape.

Placement Major growing-up interval means this cannot safely be treated as three consecutive days. Original pages needed to split and date the eras; no arbitrary 2008 story year.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Correct three-part story. Exact containing volume / Amazon match needs verification.

View official comic series ↗View official comic series
View containing volume 2 — View containing volume 2 ↗

SELECTED CONTINUITY

Licensed crossovers / alternate scenarios

1970s-derived Leatherface; timeless Entity realmOVERLAPPING ERA
Game / DLCNon-canon connectedReleased 2017

Dead by Daylight — Leatherface chapter / character lore

1970s-derived Leatherface; timeless Entity realm Relative / stated chronology

Leatherface enters the Entity’s trials.

Placement Read official character lore; crossover does not fix a post-film calendar year or merge screen worlds.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact licensed chapter / narrative page; regional purchase availability varies.

View official character story ↗View official character story
est. late twentieth century; incompatible crossover scenarioOVERLAPPING ERA
ComicNon-canon connectedReleased 1995–1996

Jason vs. Leatherface #1–3

est. late twentieth century; incompatible crossover scenario Evidence-based estimate

Jason encounters the Sawyer family.

Placement Group connected Topps run. Living-family / Jason circumstances do not establish an exact shared film date; publication years are not story dates.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Correct Topps issues, not an unrelated film disc. No current legitimate Amazon edition verified.

View exact three-issue inventory ↗View exact three-issue inventory
Modern Earthrealm era; exact crossover calendar unverifiedOVERLAPPING ERA
Game / DLCNon-canon connectedReleased 2016

Mortal Kombat X — Leatherface / alternate arcade story

Modern Earthrealm era; exact crossover calendar unverified Relative / stated chronology

Leatherface joins a supernatural fighting-world scenario.

Placement Licensed alternate ending / matchup does not establish film canon. Full arcade-ending comparison remains open.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Exact pack includes Leatherface; not every base edition includes the DLC.

View official DLC contents ↗View official DLC contents
Modern-era film-inspired setting; exact film route unverifiedOVERLAPPING ERA
Live attractionPromotional onlyReleased 2024

Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Fright Fest licensed attraction

Modern-era film-inspired setting; exact film route unverified Relative / stated chronology

Visitors enter a licensed Leatherface horror experience.

Placement Official operator verifies the experience; no uninspected plot or performance-year story date invented.

Research & access notes

Inspection: Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected

Edition / access: Historical licensed attraction; current ticket / walkthrough availability not asserted.

Read original operator guide ↗Read original operator guide

Era / story position not yet established

These entries still lack enough evidence for a useful story-era insertion. Supported estimates and source-story retellings appear in the main timeline; remaining gaps need further research.

Keep the footnotes.

Open research ledger