This movie, Norman Bates in "Psycho", and Buffalo Bill in "Silence of the Lambs", were all based on one man, Eddie Gein. He was from Plainfield, Wisconsin (USA), and was caught November 17, 1957. He confessed to killing 2 women, robbing 8 graves, and was found guilty. It was later overturned "by reason of insanity". He was sentenced to an asylum where he died of cancer.

Leatherface's chainsaw has had the manufacturer and brand name sanded off so the company wasn't associated with the movie.

The scene where they are wrapping up the body was all ad libbed by R. Lee Ermy.

Near the start of the film, when the first kid has been captured by Leatherface and they're in the basement, the decapitated head on a table beside Leatherface is that of Harry Knowles, film critic and gossip monger of Ain't It Cool News.

Gunnar Hansen, who played Leatherface in the original movie in 1974, was asked to play the truck driver at the end of the movie.

After the girl kills herself the gas station they stop at from the outside looks identical to the gas station in the Original.

During the police video sections of the film you can sometimes hear a camera flashbulb popping and then recharging. This same sound effect was used at the beginning of the original film when we see the decimated corpses being photographed.

Katie Holmes was considered for the role of Erin.