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Though the franchise hasn’t enjoyed a major success in a little over 20 years,The Texas Chainsaw Massacremay very well be coming back in the near future. Originally co-created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper, the horror series revolving around a cannibalistic family in the titular state remains one of the genre’s most iconic properties, even if one of its poorer-received ones. AfterNetflix’sTexas Chainsaw Massacrekept the franchise’s negative review streakgoing in 2022, its future has been in an unclear place.
Now,Deadlinereports that production company Verve, who have held the rights to the series since 2017,is currently meeting with prospective candidates for a newTexas Chainsaw Massacremovie. Though the studio noted to the publication that they have not “officially submitted” the rights to any filmmakers or producers, other sources report that one of the biggest parties currently interested in developing the next installment isStrange Darling’s JT Mollner, who is said to be working with producer Roy Lee to develop a pitch for a new installment.
While there is not currently a script or deals in place for Mollner and Lee to develop, sources also report thatGlen Powell is interested in reading Mollner’sTexas Chainsaw Massacrematerial for the possibility of starring. Beyond theTwistersstar, the report also indicates that theStrange Darlingduo’s version has attracted the interest of Lionsgate and A24, while the publication also predicts that Neon will look to present a pitch withThe Monkey’s Oz Perkins. A representative for Verve provided the following statement to the publication:
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 to any filmmakers, producers or buyers. Because this is such a hot and iconic horror property, packages are preemptively being brought to Verve.
UPDATE: 2025-08-09 11:50 EST BY ZACH BOWEN
JT Mollner Responds To Report
After the report was originally published,Mollerresponded on X, simply stating “Don’t believe everything you read.”
What This Means For The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Future
It Marks An Interesting First For 1 Interested Party
While the Verve representative’s comments are clearly meant to temper expectations of how far along the reported discussions are, those being eyed for the nextTexas Chainsaw Massacremovie mark an interesting mix of choices. To this point, Mollner has only two released films to his name, those being the Western thrillerOutlaws and Angelsandthe thrillerStrange Darling,which was one of the most acclaimed films of 2024, maintaining a 96% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and garnering praise from Stephen King. Mollner also penned the script for the upcoming King adaptation,The Long Walk.
A full list may not have been given for the studios interested in the title, but A24 and Lionsgate wanting to help develop the nextTexas Chainsaw Massacremakes sense. The former found widespread success with2022’sX, with praise particularly directed towards its homages to the franchise and other ’70s horror classics. The latter, on the other hand,has already been part of the franchise’s history, having released two of the prior installments, which were also poorly received. See how Lionsgate’sTexas Chainsaw Massacremovies compared to the others on Rotten Tomatoes in the chart below:
84%
82%
52%
47%
13%
31%
16%
18%
37%
58%
15%
53%
20%
40%
27%
24%
30%
25%
Netflix
Arguably, one of the more interesting takeaways from the report is thatGlen Powell is potentially interested in Mollner’sTexas Chainsaw Massacretreatment. Across his 22-year career, the closest he’s come to appearing in the horror genre wasRyan Murphy’s short-lived horror-comedy showScream Queens, having since found success in the world of action and comedy thanks to the likes ofTop Gun: Maverick,Hit ManandTwisters. That being said, considering Powell is a Texas native, it makes sense he’d be keen to be part of one of the state’s biggest franchises.
Our Take On The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Future
Mollner Working With A Clean Slate is Exactly What’s Needed
As much as I do broadly enjoy most of the franchise, the prospect of Mollner taking on thenextTexas Chainsaw Massacremovieis a promising one, permitted that he’s allowed to work with a clean slate. The franchise has tried twice to go the way of a legacy sequel, and both didn’t utilize the formula well, while the 2003 remake remains one of the better efforts since the original. If Mollner is allowed to completely go back to basics without being weighed down by prior lore, he and Powell could bring the franchise back to life.
Source:Deadline
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a multimedia franchise that began with Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. After the film’s initial release, there were a total of eight additional films added to the franchise, as well as comic books from various publishers, including Avatar Press and Wildstorm Comics. In 2023, the video game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released on PlayStation 4/5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S.
