TWO NORTHERN Irish brothers have been hired to direct a follow-up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Andy and Ryan Tohill from Belfast will helm what is being described as a “reboot” of Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror classic.
Andy Tohill confirmed the news on Twitter, writing: “It’s gonna be some journey”.
Only one film to watch tonight with my bro @tohill_ryan. It’s gonna be some journey! #texaschainsaw pic.twitter.com/ER4LQDMoKV
— Andy Tohill (@andy_tohill) February 7, 2020
Their film will represent the eighth follow-up to Hooper’s low-budget original, which told the story of a group of friends who stumble upon a family of cannibals led by the iconic chainsaw wielding killer, Leatherface.
Originally banned in the UK by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released on VHS in 1981, where it became one of several violent horror films of the era to be branded “video nasties” by the tabloid press.
Despite negative initial reviews, in the decades since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has emerged as one of the most influential horror films of all time.
The hiring of Northern Irish pair marks the culmination of a remarkable few years for the brothers who first rose to prominence with their 2017 directorial debut The Dig.
A grim, critically lauded first feature, it centred on the story of convicted murderer Callahan who after 15 years behind bars returns to his family home to find the father of his victim there.
He soon discovers that the father has spent the past decade-and-a-half digging through the earth beneath the Callahan estate searching desperately for the body of the daughter he lost.
Knowing the only way the distraught dad will leave him alone is if he finds the slain girl’s corpse, Callahan soon joins him in the grim task, eager to recall the hazy, alcohol-fuelled events that led to her death and gain some closure in the process.
Yet as they continue on together, a darker truth soon emerges.
Filmed in the countryside around Ballymena, the film earned rave reviews upon release and currently boasts a 73% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
The Dig was awarded the title of Best Film at the 2018 Galway Film Fleadh and was also featured at the Toronto International Film Festival.
It was the result of years of hard work for the brothers.
Andy Tohill graduated from Queen’s University with a film studies degree while Ryan Tohill studied visual arts at Ulster University.
The pair worked in the TV and film industry in Northern Ireland for several years prior to their directorial debut.
