The post-COVID theatrical landscape has fundamentally shifted, and studios are taking note. The days of easily hitting the $500 million global box office mark for big-budget blockbusters are largely over. In response to this new reality, many studios are reportedly scaling back on the number of expensive summer tentpoles they greenlight.
Instead, there's a discernible pivot towards more affordable horror films, a genre that consistently delivers strong returns on investment. This strategy is already bearing fruit, with numerous iconic horror IPs being revitalized. We've seen successful "requels" and new installments for franchises like Final Destination, Scream, and Saw.
Looking ahead, the resurgence continues, with projects like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Friday the 13th, and The Exorcist actively in development.
However, one particular classic horror property is currently generating significant buzz and has ignited a heated bidding war among multiple major studios and streamers. The IP in question is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The '70s classic slasher is igniting a bit of a bidding war at the moment and some very interesting names are involved, including:
- Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan is said to have very strong interest as a Texas native
- Oz Perkins (Longless, The Monkey) is reportedly teaming with Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) for a Neon-produced film
- J.T. Mollner, director of the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk, is partnering with producer Roy Lee for a TV series setup at A24
- Separately, Lee also has a pitch in play for a Texas Chainsaw Massacre film at Netflix
- lastly, Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope) and his Monkeypaw Productions has entered the mix and air aiming to produce a film at Universal
The rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise are currently controlled by Exurbia Films, a company partially owned by Kim Henkel, co-writer of the 1974 original. Exurbia has enlisted the boutique agency Verve to oversee an active bidding war for the property. Formal pitches from studios and filmmakers are set to begin on June 9, 2025.
The most recent entry in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series is the 2022 film of the same name, directed by David Blue Garcia. Premiering exclusively on Netflix on February 18, 2022, the film functions as a direct continuation of the 1974 original, picking up the story fifty years later. It centers on a group of young urbanites who travel to a remote Texas town with plans to revitalize it—only to awaken the long-dormant horror of Leatherface. Despite its high-profile release, the film was poorly received, earning a 30% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and just 25% from audiences, based on over 1,000 viewer ratings.