Sources say that A24 is winning the film and TV rights for Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which were up for auction and had a handful of bidders. First up would be a series from JT Mollner, Roy Lee and Glen Powell though the latter will not star as we previously told you.
Apparently, the deal hasn’t closed yet, but A24 has the pole position. Another source close to the deal tells us that this is all premature, but it’s clear that the genre label behind Hereditary isn’t letting this one go.
The A24 win beats out a Bryan Bertino directed and co-written feature with Oz Perkins producing as well as a Taylor Sheridan produced version of Leatherface.
We are told that Jordan Peele’s run at Texas Chainsaw Massacre dissipated quite quickly.
Now Lee was also looking to do a Netflix movie feature of Texas Chainsaw Massacre; that we hear is still in the cards with A24 producing.
We first told you about this beauty contest, administered by Verve, the agency having repped rights to the slasher franchise since 2017. Exurbia Films is the primary production company behind Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with Pat Cassidy, Ian Henkel and Kim Henkel as producers. The property is repped by attorney Marios Rush.
Hooper directed the original movie, and co-wrote with Kim Henkel.
InSneider had the news about A24.
The original 1974 movie was made for $140,000 and distributed by Bryanston Distributing Company, which released the 1972 X-rated success Deep Throat. Texas Chainsaw Massacre grossed $31M, with the filmmakers getting stiffed on profits. In 1983, New Line Cinema took distrib rights for the entire franchise via nine movies minting $252M-plus worldwide. There were comic, novel and videogame ancillaries during the IP’s history. The highest grossing installment of Leatherface remains the 2003 version, produced by Michael Bay and Quiet Place producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, and Marcus Nispel directing; that Jessica Biel grossing $107M around the globe.