A24 Wins Bidding War for New TV Adaptation of Classic 70s Horror Franchise
Horror fans, get ready—A24 is bringing a legendary 70s franchise back to life on TV after beating out rivals in a fierce bidding war.
Leatherface might be trading the back roads for the writers room. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre rights have been the subject of a very loud bidding war, and the current frontrunner is about as prestige-horror as it gets.
So, what is actually happening?
Deadline says A24 has the inside track to land both the film and TV rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and is already developing a series. The producing team attached is an interesting trio: JT Mollner (Strange Darling), Roy Lee (Weapons), and surprise: Glen Powell (Hit Man) is on board as a producer. Powell is not expected to star, which feels like the obvious question, so there you go.
Important caveat: no deal is signed yet. Things could still shift. But A24 is currently seen as the most likely home.
How we got here (and who else tried to grab the chainsaw)
Talk of a Texas Chainsaw bidding war started back in March 2025, when rights reps Verve began meeting with a bunch of heavy hitters. If this sounds like an inside baseball scrum, it kind of was. A quick snapshot of the room:
- A24: Developing a TV series with JT Mollner, Roy Lee, and Glen Powell producing. No platform yet, though Lee reportedly floated it to Netflix.
- The competition: The Strangers director Bryan Bertino pitched a feature; Longlegs director Oz Perkins was attached as a producer on a competing take; Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Tulsa King) had a pitch; Jordan Peele was in the mix briefly but exited for unknown reasons.
- Why this trio: Mollner and Lee are coming off their acclaimed collaboration on The Long Walk (as writer and producer), and Powell is about to debut his series Chad Powers. Translation: they are very hot right now.
Chainsaw on TV? Join the club.
Leatherface would not be alone. Horror franchises are having a full-on TV moment. Chucky turned Child's Play into a legit cult hit across three seasons on USA and Syfy. Alien: Earth has scored some of the best reactions that series has seen in a while. A24 is also cooking up a Friday the 13th prequel for Peacock centered on Pamela Voorhees. It: Welcome to Derry lands on HBO Max in October 2025. And The Conjuring is getting a newly announced prequel series at HBO. If you sense a theme, you are not wrong.
Why this matters for Texas Chainsaw
Tobe Hooper's 1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre basically helped invent the modern slasher and turned Leatherface into an icon. But the franchise has been a mess lately. Post-2003 remake, the run has been rough: Texas Chainsaw 3D, the prequel Leatherface, and the recent legacy sequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre all landed with a thud. A24 putting a series together with the Strange Darling/The Long Walk/Hit Man braintrust is at least a fresh angle, and this property could use one.
The bottom line
No contracts inked yet, but if A24 closes, we might be looking at Leatherface slicing into the prestige-TV era. Call it cautious optimism: the talent is intriguing, the lane is wide open, and this franchise is overdue for something that feels sharp instead of just loud.