52 Years On, the Scariest Horror Movie Franchise Is Getting Its First TV Series (And Another Sequel Film)

Horror has gone from being a niche genre to one of the most dominant genres at the box office, and along with that has come a new era of horror television. Iconic horror series like The Exorcist, Child’s Play, and Evil Dead have all made successful jumps to the TV format, while Stephen King has become an entire brand unto himself, on the back of shows like IT: Welcome to Derry. Now, one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time is going to be taking its shot at TV, while also revitalizing its movie side with a new sequel film.

But while such campaigns have worked for those aforementioned horror properties, this one will be a trickier balancing act to pull off. And given the franchise’s track record, success is far from a guarantee…

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Is Getting A TV Show (& New Movie)

Indie studio A24 has reportedly won a bidding war for new Texas Chainsaw Massacre content across television and film. According to Variety, actor Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, The Running Man) will be “executive producer on the franchise,” alongside Dan Cohen through their Barnstorm banner production company.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of my favorite films,” Glenn Powell said in a press statement. “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.”

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Spooky Pictures and Image Nation will co-produce the franchise, with a list of EPs from both companies already attached. Most importantly, Kim Henkel, co-writer of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, will also be involved through her imprint, Exurbia Films, which will also be represented through producers Ian Henkel and Pat Cassidy. JT Mollner (who just wrote the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk) will direct the TV series, but is reportedly not attached to the film.

”I’ve said publicly that I’m not interested in remaking perfect films, and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a perfect film,” Mollner said in his statement. “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 long form 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.”

“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,” Powell added.

A24 has quickly earned a reputation for being the modern Miramax – i.e., an indie film house that’s unafraid to take bold swings on a diverse range of visionary filmmakers and/or high-concept TV projects, like HBO’s Euphoria. This year, the studio has both prestige and box office locked down, with films like Marty Supreme and The Smashing Machine getting Golden Globes and/or Oscar nods; Beijing animated film Ne Zha 2 became an international smash, earning $2.2 billion at the box office (Avatar or Marvel-level money), and A24 wisely stepped in to do the English dub. The studio hasn’t been the same since the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once became a box office hit ($143 million on a budget of around $20 million) and swept through awards season, earning seven Oscars (including Best Picture) and two Golden Globes. Franchise universe expansion is a logical next step, and A24 still has the indie credit to actually have fans be hopeful that these projects will be done in the spirit of Tobe Hooper’s original.

That all said, Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story made the world look differently on all the works the serial killer inspired – including Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Combined with several failed attempts to reboot the franchise (a prequel in the 2000s; 3D format and Leatherface villain origin story in the 2010s; legacy sequel in the early 2020s), Powell and Co. have less room to maneuver and more of an uphill climb than their statements would imply. We’ll see how it goes.

There are 9 Texas Chainsaw Massacre films you can stream on various DSPs. Discuss this new attempt with us over on the ComicBook Forum!