Everyone wants a piece of Leatherface. And who better to rev up a chainsaw, slice you whichever bit you want, and serve it up raw and bloody? The rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise have been caught up in a bidding war in recent months, and A24 has emerged as the victor – not surprising, given the company largely made its name on prestige indie horror films with a similar intensity to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic. And already, A24 has multiple plans for the cannibal family.
First up, a series is in the works, produced by none other than Glen Powell. Hey, the guy really likes Texas, his home state – and he’s named the ’74 film as one of his favourites too. Powell won’t be starring in the show, but is on board as an executive producer. Set to direct is JT Mollner, who directed cult hit Strange Darling, and wrote last year’s acclaimed Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk. Whatever the series ends up being, it doesn’t sound like a straight-up retread.
“I’ve said publicly that I’m not interested in remaking perfect films,” said Mollner in a statement, “and the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a perfect film. I have so much reverence for Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel because they created something bold, transgressive, and truly seminal that holds up even today as the gold standard for horror. When the idea for a long form exploration into this world came to me, I saw it as a fresh way in, as well to honour and build on the existing folklore. It’s the only way I wanted to do it — and I can’t imagine better partners for this concept than A24. This is truly an honour.”
Beyond the series, A24 is also cooking up a new Texas Chainsaw movie with the producers at Spooky Pictures, Image Nation, and Exurbia Films. However, this is an entirely separate project to the series, and is not expected to be narratively connected. The series is expected to move first, before any big-screen outing.
What can A24 do with the 50-plus-year-old franchise that hasn’t been done before? How will the studio fare with its legacy-driven horror series, as it prepares to launch its Crystal Lake series on Peacock? And can we expect a Texas Chainsaw project as raw and terrifying as the original? Get that blade chugging now.
