Leatherface will soon be on the prowl for his next victim, as Texas Chainsaw Massacre is getting a renewed lease of life on the small screen. Following a highly competitive bidding war that drew the interest of Top Gun Maverick star Glen Powell, A24 has emerged victorious as the rights holder to the next entry in the horror franchise.
First on the agenda is a TV series, with Powell attached as executive producer and The Long Walk writer JT Mollner as director. Roy Lee and Steven Schneider of Spooky Pictures, Stuart Manashil, Image Nation’s Ben Ross, Powell, and Dan Cohen of Barnstorm are also executive producing, alongside Exurbia Films’ Kim Henkel, who co-wrote the original film and produced several of the franchise’s subsequent entries. Notably, Powell will only be involved in production and won’t star in the project.
No other details, including plot specifics, casting, and a release window, were announced, but The Hollywood Reporter writes that a separate Texas Massacre film is in the works from the same producing team, minus Mollner. As the latter is in early development, not much else is known about it.
“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of my favourite films. It defined a generation of horror films, and over half a century after its release, it remains one of the definitive movies of my home state,” said Powell in a statement. “I’m honoured to have Barnstorm help bring in a new chapter for such an iconic title and franchise. With a marquee home in A24 and visionary filmmaker with JT Mollner, alongside our top-shelf producing partners, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better team for such a dream property.”
The franchise dates back to the 1974 film directed by Tobe Hooper, credited with originating several elements common in the slasher genre, such as the use of power tools as murder weapons and the characterisation of the killer as a large, hulking, masked figure. It spawned eight sequels, prequels, and remakes over the years, with Netflix’s 2022 movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre being the most recent instalment.
While it’s too early to determine whether A24 is a good fit for the IP, the indie outfit’s extensive horror track record puts it on a strong start — the next addition to its ranks of Hereditary, Midsommar, and TiWest’s X/Pearl/MaXXXine trilogy will be Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal Lake, written and directed by Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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