Last year, it was revealed that Legendary Pictures, the company behind the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre film that was released through the Netflix streaming service, had let their rights to make new films in the franchise lapse, so Verve, which currently represents the rights, are looking to “build out a multimedia strategy” for the franchise, with filmmakers, producers, and buyers looking to get involved. It was said that writer/director JT Mollner (Strange Darling) and producer Roy Lee (It) were among the interested parties, teaming up with A24 for a TV series pitch that had actor Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) hoping to read the script. Eight months ago, A24 came out the winner of that bidding war – and they’re not wasting any time cashing in on this IP.
Four months ago, it was confirmed that there’s a Texas Chainsaw Massacre TV series in the works at A24, with Glen Powell serving as an executive producer alongside Roy Lee and Steven Schneider of Spooky Pictures, Stuart Manashil, Image Nation’s Ben Ross, Powell’s producing partner Dan Cohen of Barnstorm, and Exurbia Films’ Kim Henkel, who co-wrote the original film and produced several of follow-ups, in addition to writing and directing Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. Exurbia’s Ian Henkel and Pat Cassidy are producing. JT Mollner is attached to direct.
Just over a month ago, it was announced that A24 is also moving forward with a Texas Chainsaw Massacre feature film reimagining, separate from the TV show, with up-and-coming filmmaker Curry Barker on board to write and direct. And during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Barker said that he will aim to capture the rawness of the original film with his take on the concept.
What else has Curry Barker done?
A couple of years ago, Curry Barker wrote, directed, and starred in the found footage horror movie Milk & Serial, which is said to have had a budget of $800. Baker then released the movie through YouTube, where the free-to-watch video has racked up more than 3 million views. His new horror movie, Obsession, which is closing in on $200 million at the domestic box office and a $300 million worldwide total, is now the most successful festival acquisition ever.
Barker has already shot another feature, Anything but Ghosts, which recently wrapped production.
What has Curry Barker said about his Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
Barker has previously said that this will be about more than just “a guy chasing some people around with a chainsaw.” It will have heart and you’ll care about the victim characters, you’ll want them to survive… but it will also be brutal. He has also said “I’m not gonna stray away too far from what we know, but just making it stronger. Really, I want to lean into the uncomfortability of the family. I want to lean into the rawness of what’s going on there. There’s some really messed up stuff happening at that farm. I genuinely feel as if there’s so much potential for that concept that has not been realized.”
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Barker was asked how he plans to make his contribution to the franchise seem fresh. He answered, “I wouldn’t be interested if I didn’t think I could find a way in that feels fresh and new, while still respecting the original. The canon itself is all over the place, so there’s not much to stay loyal to other than the original. I want to make a new generation of people scared and give them this feeling of: ‘What if you went on a road trip with your friends and this happened to you?’ I want to capture the rawness and the grounded-ness of the original.“
He recently watched all of the previous Chainsaw films. Asked what he learned from them, he said, “Some of those movies just turn out to be a guy with a chainsaw chasing a person around. It doesn’t work to just have a chase movie. They’re hiding in a barn. It gets old. And I don’t buy it — a chainsaw is loud but they don’t hear it? I hate when you’re watching a movie and you’re thinking, ‘Just do this [instead].’“
Although Barker has been hired to make a Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, he hasn’t started writing the script yet, and he’s not sure if he wants it to be his next project. “The big conversation is: Do I want to do an IP movie? Or do I want to do my original? I have an idea for my original, but I have so many ideas for Chainsaw as well. I have a lot to weigh and that’s where the stress really comes from. I don’t know what to do next.“
Are you looking forward to seeing what Curry Barker does with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and do you think it should be his next project once he’s finished with Anything but Ghosts? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed