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Total Film
Total Film
Entertainment
Bradley Russell

Texas Chain Saw Massacre is being turned into an original TV show because its director is "not interested in remaking perfect films": "It's the only way I wanted to do it"

Leatherface holding a chainsaw above his head during the ending of the horror movie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre .

Surprise! Revered horror classic Texas Chain Saw Massacre is being turned into a TV show by an unlikely team: A24, The Long Walk writer JT Mollner, and actor Glen Powell.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, A24 has nabbed the rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (or Chain Saw, if you're a horror purist).

At this early stage, it's not known what precisely the TV show will cover, though original Chain Saw Massacre co-writer Kim Henkel teased, "There's an epic tale lurking in the Chainsaw backstory."

But Mollner, who is on directing duties for the project, appears to rule out a remake of the 1974 classic.

"I've said publicly that I'm not interested in remaking perfect films, and the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a perfect film," Mollner said in a statement (via THR).

"When the idea for a long form exploration into this world came to me, I saw it as a fresh way in, as well to honor and build on the existing folklore. It's the only way I wanted to do it – and I can't imagine better partners for this concept than A24. This is truly an honor."

Curiously, a separate film is in the works as part of this deal, with The Hollywood Reporter saying it's currently in 'early development.'

While Powell is involved creatively as executive producer on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre TV show, he is reportedly not expected to appear in the project.

A24, meanwhile, has become renowned for its horror output across the past decade. From Hereditary to Robert Eggers' The Witch, they have been unsettling audiences for some time.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has a long, storied history of revving up a storm in the horror space. The 1974 original was infamously banned in some countries due to its gory content. Then-BBFC boss James Ferman even described it as a "pornography of terror."

Since then, the franchise has featured eight sequels – most recently the poorly-received 2022 Netflix release Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

For more, get ready to hide behind the couch with our skin-crawling guide to new horror movies.

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