Looks like A24 is picking up the rights for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre franchise, which celebrated its 50th anniversary just last year. The franchise one of the most venerable properties in the horror genre still talked about today. None of the eight subsequent entries is as acclaimed or iconic as is the 1974 original (though some do rank the 2003 remake on the same level), but it’s still hard to beat this franchise for sheer brand recognition. Over the past few months, as many as eight studios and streaming services have been competing to acquire the rights to Texas Chain Saw. Now, at last, a winner has been announced.
A24 Now Holds the Fate of Texas Chain Saw
The production company Legendary Pictures previously held the rights to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but these rights passed back to Exurbia Films following the release of the franchise’s latest installment (simply called Texas Chainsaw Massacre) in 2022. Exurbia is co-owned by Kim Henkel, best known for co-writing the original film alongside director Tobe Hooper. As of this past March, the rights were officially back on the market.
On September 12, Deadline reported that A24 – the independent company known for championing horror auteurs such as Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and Alex Garland – was primed to prevail in the bidding contest for the rights to this legendary slasher franchise. This isn’t completely in the bag yet – Deadline was careful to specify that the deal is not yet final – but certainly A24 is in “pole position” to own the future of Texas Chain Saw.
A Texas Chain Saw Massacre TV Series in the Offing?
Under this new stewardship, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre franchise is slated to receive its first-ever television series. Helming this series will be JT Mollner, who directed the 2023 psychological thriller Strange Darling and wrote this year’s dystopian Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk; Roy Lee, who co-founded the production company Vertigo Entertainment; and Glen Powell, who is known for his starring roles in Top Gun Maverick and Hit Man, but who will not be acting in the forthcoming show.
Final Thoughts
A24’s acquisition of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is intriguing, to say the least. As a company famous for producing and/or distributing so many arthouse horror films, it’s hard to say what direction they’ll choose for a franchise that, while prestigious in its own right (at least for its groundbreaking original film, if nothing else) is grindhouse at its essence. At this time, nothing story-wise is known about the planned TV series.
