Last year, there was a huge bidding war over the film and television rights to 1974’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” In September, A24 walked away with a deal for the iconic franchise during an auction held by Verve.
The company has now confirmed that both a TV series and a film are in the works.
A24’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” television series is in early development, but it already has JT Mollner attached. It will be executive produced by Roy Lee and Steven Schneider of Spooky Pictures, Ben Ross for Image Nation, Glen Powell and Dan Cohen for Barnstorm, and Stuart Manashil. Original franchise co-creator Kim Henkel is also attached to executive-produce Exurbia Films.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
The film in development has the same production team attached, but no director at this time. There is no word on whether the upcoming film will receive a wide release or go straight to Netflix.
“I’ve said publicly that I’m not interested in remaking perfect films, and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a perfect film. Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel created something bold, transgressive and truly seminal that holds up even today as the gold standard for horror. When the opportunity for a longform exploration into this world arose, I saw it as a fresh way in, as well as a way to honor the existing folklore. I can’t imagine better partners for this approach than A24. This is truly an honor,” Mollner explained.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of my favorite films,” Powell added. “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. I’m honored 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.”
“It was a difficult decision, but A24’s embrace of boundary-testing genre film, and its record of working with artists who are inclined to test boundaries made them a compelling choice. Plus, we believe having a great creative and producing team — JT Mollner, Roy Lee, Dan Cohen and Glen Powell — in place gives us the best shot at a series that could be genuinely eye-opening and unexpected. There’s an epic tale lurking in the Chainsaw backstory,” Henkel said.
We’ll keep you posted on updates about A24’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” TV series and movie as the projects develop.
