Last week, it was reported that Curry Barker would direct a new reimagining of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” and now the “Obsession” filmmaker is commenting, for the first time, on his overall vision for the upcoming film.
“I love the original,” Curry said during a recent Q&A. “I think that one is really raw and was really good for its time. And I actually think the 2003 remake is quite good too, but that could also be from—there’s a nostalgia there.”
He added, “A lot of people are excited about [the reboot], but a lot of people are like, ‘Put this thing to bed. It’s all been done.’ I beg to differ. Seriously. I really think that the potential for that series has not been fully realized. I actually feel like a lot of the remakes went the opposite direction than they should have gone.”
Barker continued, “I’m really excited to do a Texas Chain Saw Massacre that’s not just about a guy chasing some people around with a chainsaw; that has some heart to it. You care about these characters and want to see them survive, and it’s brutal.”
A reader (Zed Runner) had brought up an interesting point. The original “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is a singular vision shaped by an unusually chaotic, low-budget shoot that’s impossible to replicate within the Hollywood system. Directed by Tobe Hooper, its raw, documentary-like intensity carried through to the screen, making it feel less like traditional horror and more like reality caught on celluloid. By contrast, later entries—and potentially Barker’s reboot—operate under more conventional studio conditions, ultimately lacking the same chaotic authenticity that defined the original. Hooper’s atmosphere simply cannot be replicated.
Last year, the battle for the “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” franchise heated up. A flurry of studios and filmmakers pitched their takes in hopes of securing the horror IP, with as many as eight proposals circulating. A24 ultimately prevailed.
Barker’s “reimagining” is being described as a “fresh take” on the classic IP originally unleashed on terrified audiences by Hooper and Kim Henkel. A24 is aiming to revitalize it for the modern era.
Lest we forget, A24 is concurrently developing a “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” TV series spearheaded by “Strange Darling” filmmaker JT Mollner and Glen Powell.
Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.