Long before the brutal kills of Friday the 13th and the methodical stalking of Halloween, the horror genre evolved into something much more disturbing, gruesome, and intense with 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Easily one of the most controversial movies ever made, let alone one of the most controversial horror movies ever made, the unrelenting original has inspired nearly a dozen sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, and more, all of which never quite reached the revolutionary heights of director Tobe Hooper‘s first film in the franchise. After Netflix‘s disastrous attempt at reviving the series, it’s no wonder that there was a fierce bidding war for the franchise rights last year, which ended with indie juggernaut A24 coming out on top. After the news that Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell would be producing a TV series set in the world of Texas Chainsaw, the studio has now revealed that Leatherface will be returning to the world of movies as well, with a new report confirming breakout horror director Curry Barker has been tapped to direct a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie.
Yet another successful result of the YouTuber-to-filmmaker pipeline, Barker first made a name for himself as a sketch comedian with the troupe known as “That’s a Bad Idea.” Last year, he became the talk of the horror world with his sophomore feature film, Obsession, which follows a young man who makes a wish that his longtime crush would fall madly in love with him only to reap disastrous results. Obsession was nominated for several prestigious film festival awards at reputable ceremonies like SXSW and TIFF, sparking a fierce bidding war where Focus picked up the movie and has now scheduled it for a May 15 release in 2026. A24 was also in the running to acquire Obsession, and it’s clear they haven’t forgotten about Barker‘s impeccable work, now entrusting him to direct the next chapter in one of the most important horror franchises ever made.
A24’s New ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Movie Is More Proof That YouTubers Are Taking Over Horror
Curry Barker‘s turn from YouTube content creator to rising prestige horror filmmaker is not an isolated incident. The trend arguably really exploded when duo Danny and Michael Philippou, who previously ran the successful YouTube channel RackaRacka, directed the colossal horror hit Talk To Me, which shattered records for indie horror flicks and has kickstarted plans to expand into a blossoming franchise. Speaking of breaking records, Mark Fischbach, best known as the gaming YouTuber Markiplier, defied all the odds with his independently financed Iron Lung, which filled theaters with loyal fans. Now, Sony is also trying to follow the gold, as Fischbach‘s frequent collaborator Seán McLoughlin (AKA JackSepticEye) is now producing an R-rated animated movie based on the hit PlayStation game, Bloodborne.
A24‘s Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot is in development now. Meanwhile, Curry Barker‘s Obsession officially premieres in theaters on May 15.
via Collider