In the 1970s, a new horror subgenre emerged: the slasher film. The 1960s featured early versions of this template with movies like and Peeping Tom, but ‘70s films like and solidified that these ultra-violent movies weren’t going anywhere.
1974 saw the release of one of the most iconic slasher movies ever, which launched a nine-film franchise that repeatedly terrified audiences. Now, following a lengthy rights battle, a modern horror studio is reviving it—but in a completely new form.
In 1974, Tobe Hooper made , a ruthless film about Leatherface laying waste to an unlucky group of friends. It has had a ever since—its production was even recently dramatized in the Ryan Murphy Netflix series . (A real-life murderer reportedly inspired Leatherface.)
In September 2025, the horror franchise’s future was put up for sale, with multiple companies bidding to acquire the story rights. Yellowstone’s TV powerhouse Taylor Sheridan (a Texas native himself) was part of the discussions, as was Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
But ultimately, A24— the production company behind modern horror classics like Hereditary, Midsommar, and X (a movie that’s essentially a love letter to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)—came out on top. Now, we know what A24 plans to do with the story: a TV adaptation. According to, Strange Darling director and The Long Walk writer JT Mollner is attached to the series, with a team of producers including (another Texas boy) Glen Powell. But don’t expect him to wear a leather mask; he’s only producing.
If a TV show of this classic story doesn’t excite you, don’t worry: A24 is also in the early stages of developing a feature film as well, though it’s so preliminary that no details are available beyond that.
More than half a century has passed since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre debuted, but now under the wing of one of the hottest movie studios, it could enter a new golden age in multiple forms—both film and TV.