‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ finds new life at A24

Leatherface is ready to terrify the next generation. After a months-long bidding war, A24 has secured the film and television rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of horror’s most infamous franchises. The first project is a TV series led by filmmaker JT Mollner, with a feature film also quietly in early development. Glen Powell is attached to it, too, but he won’t be in front of the camera. The franchise was inspired by the real-life murderer Ed Gein. While Gein didn’t use a chainsaw or come from a cannibalistic family, he did make household items and masks from human skin. Here’s what we know.

Deadline revealed the news, announcing Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Stuart Manashil, ImageNation’s Ben Ross, and Barnstorm’s Powell and Dan Cohen are stepping in as a producer along with Dan Cohen. Kim Henkel, who co-created the original 1974 film with Tobe Hooper, will also produce, alongside Exurbia Films’ Ian Henkel and Pat Cassidy.

Mollner has been vocal about his respect for the original film, calling it untouchable. “I’ve said publicly that I’m not interested in remaking perfect films,” he said, adding that Hooper and Henkel’s work remains “the gold standard for horror.” For him, the appeal lies in long-form storytelling, a chance to explore the mythology and folklore surrounding Leatherface without undoing any of the previous work. 

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That mindset appears to be exactly what drew the rights holders to A24. Henkel described the decision as difficult but ultimately driven by trust in the studio’s genre instincts and artist-first approach. With Mollner, Lee, Cohen, and Powell on board, he believes the series has the potential to be “genuinely eye-opening and unexpected,” teasing that “there’s an epic tale lurking in the Chainsaw backstory.”

Powell, a proud Texas native, echoed that sentiment, calling The Texas Chainsaw Massacre one of his favorite 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,” Powell said. “I’m honored to have Barnstorm help bring in a new chapter for such an iconic title and franchise.”

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While the TV series is the priority, a new feature film is also in the works with the same producing team and ImageNation. Mollner is not attached to direct the movie, and the project hasn’t been packaged yet, nor is it confirmed where it will land, despite earlier reports suggesting Netflix. 

The franchise itself has had a long history. As noted by Deadline, the original 1974 film was made for just $140,000 and went on to gross more than $31 million, though its creators famously never saw the money. Since then, the property has expanded into nine films, comics, novels, and video games across multiple continuities, earning more than $250 million worldwide. 

The last release in the Franchise was in 2022, but it was not received that well – it has a 31% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Beyond its body count and infamy, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre occupies a rare place in film history. The low-budget documentary-style film, released as “based on a true story,” blurred the line between fiction and reality, making its gory violence feel uncomfortably plausible.