A24 boasts acquisition of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre follow up, and announces a series
- Carla Davis
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A24 is already well known for their critically acclaimed horror films such as The Witch, Nosferatu, Hereditary, Talk to Me, and Bring Her Back, but now they have a stake in one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time.
As reported in The Hollywood Reporter, A24 was the big winner in “a competitive bidding situation that unfolded over the past few months”, and as a result, the entertainment mega-star will be expanding on the already extensive world of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released in 1974, and is now considered one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Every horror fan worth their salt is familiar with the story of Leatherface and his cannibalistic family, and the original film has garnered 8 sequels/reboots/prequels.
The first step in A24’s plans for the franchise will be a series. Although there has been no announcement of which network or streaming platform will take on the series, A24 is already in the midst of producing Crystal Lake, a Friday the 13th series that will be hitting Peacock sometime this year. This is an indicator that perhaps the TCM series might also be launched on Peacock.
Among the Executive Producers for the planned TCM series is Kim Henkel, who co-wrote Tobe Hooper’s original film. Henkel also produced some of the follow-ups, so it’s definitely a feather in A24’s cap to have him along for the gory ride.
JT Mollner is slated to direct the series, and you may recognize his name as the writer for The Long Walk, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. The Long Walk was a hit both critically and at the box office.
A24 is in development talks to produce a new film in the franchise, but Mollner will not be involved with that. He said he is “not interested in remaking perfect films, and the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a perfect film.”
While the original film proclaimed itself to be based on a true story, in reality it was only loosely based on the story of Ed Gein.
It was famously produced on a budget of less than $140,000, using mostly unknown actors, and it was primarily filmed at an old farmhouse near Round Rock, Texas. All of this gives The Texas Chain Saw Massacre a gritty, realistic feel, which was something movie viewers did not see a lot of in 1974. It sold more than 16.5 million tickets during the first year of its release.