A24 is finally working on the next iteration of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. This, after winning the TV and film rights back in September in a months-long bidding war that included some of the industry’s most prolific creators.
In what has become a fairly big pivot for the industry, the first project set is a television series from JT Mollner (Strange Darling). EPs include Spooky Pictures’ Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, and Stuart Manashil, Image Nation’s Ben Ross, Barnstorm’s Glen Powell and Dan Cohen, and Exurbia Films’ Kim Henkel. Henkel co-created the original 1974 film with Tobe Hooper. Powell, though a high-profile box office draw, is only producing.
In addition to the small screen entry, a feature-length film is also in early development with the same producing team, though Mollner is not attached to that project. While early reports said the film was likely heading to Netflix, it hasn’t been packaged yet, so its ultimate destination isn't clear.
The original film, released in 1974, was shot for $140,000 and distributed by Bryanston Distributing Company. Texas Chainsaw Massacre grossed $31M, though the filmmakers ultimately got stiffed hard on profits. New Line Cinema bought the distribution rights in 1983. Nine films followed as the franchise expanded into comic books, video games, and other media.
The most recent entry into the legacy franchise was 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a modernized take on the Leatherface killer, set fifty years after the events of the original film. Though that film debuted at number two on Netflix’s global charts, the David Blue Garcia-directed feature was negatively received by both critics and audiences.
