Like the titular weapon of choice, Hollywood has continually sliced through the legacy of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with results that have not always been rewarding (except for the 2003 remake, which is great, actually). That might all be about to change, though, with the news that the rights to the property are up for sale, and some very intriguing names are looking to rev things up again.
Deadline reports that Strange Darling director JT Mollner and producer Roy Lee are eyeing the IP and are keen to acquire the Sawyer legacy to add their own claret-covered spin to the franchise. If things pan out, it’d be a match made in heaven, given how Mollner handled his twisted tale of murder, which earned rave reviews. What might create a spike in interest for this new talent to get a hand on the iconic horror is that Texan-born star Glen Powell is keen to give Mollner’s idea a glance.
Of course, with a property like this, Mollner could likely face tough competition from other studios and directors who want to try the chainsaw. News from The Hollywood Reporter suggests that IT director Andy Muschietti is also a name circling that nightmarish house in the middle of nowhere.
Currently, the rights are in the possession of Verve, a company that has had control since 2017. Their last outing was with the horror series in 2022 on Netflix, in a legacy sequel that failed to spark any further installments. Speaking to Deadline, a rep for the company said, “Verve represents The Texas Chainsaw Massacre estate and is building out a multimedia strategy for the seminal horror franchise. Verve has not officially submitted the property into any filmmakers, producers or buyers because this is such a hot and iconic horror property, packages are pre-emptively being brought to Verve.”
For now, all we can do is wait and see who gets into the bidding war to take on Leatherface and what will be left of them. Speaking of horror remakes, here’s a list of them that are so good it’s scary.
