Why Curry Barker’s New 'Texas Chainsaw' Movie Will Make You Terrified of Road Trips

Curry Barker is set to take on one of horror’s most well-known franchises with a new version of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The project is being developed with A24, and Barker will both write and direct the film.

Barker has said he wants the movie to feel scary in a real and grounded way, not just rely on repeated horror tricks. He explained that his goal is to bring something new while still respecting what came before. In his own words, “I wouldn’t be interested if I didn’t think I could find a way in that feels fresh and new, while still respecting the original.”

The original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre film from 1974 has become a major part of horror history. Over the years, it has had many sequels, remakes, and reboots, but Barker believes the series needs a stronger creative direction. He has said that he watched all ten films in the franchise while preparing, and came away feeling that the idea should be more than just a simple killer-with-a-chainsaw story. He has described his approach as trying to build real fear again, especially the kind of fear that sticks with viewers after the movie ends.

A24’s involvement in the project came after a long and complicated rights situation. For a while, there was a major bidding war over the franchise. Different studios and creators were trying to develop new versions at the same time. At one point, a film directed and co-written by Bryan Bertino was being developed with producer Oz Perkins for Neon. There was also a television series idea from JT Mollner and Glen Powell, produced by Roy Lee for A24. Another film version was being developed with Roy Lee attached for Netflix. Taylor Sheridan was also linked to a separate project for Paramount. Even Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions showed early interest before stepping away from the process.

By September 2025, A24 had become the leading force in the race for the rights. In February 2026, A24 officially secured both film and television rights to the franchise. However, the situation with the Netflix film version is still unclear, especially when it comes to distribution and whether it will move forward in its original form.

Later, on April 21, 2026, it was confirmed that Curry Barker would be the one to lead the next film as writer and director. This marks a major step for the franchise as it moves into a new creative phase under A24’s control.

Barker has said he wants the movie to affect audiences in a lasting way, especially when it comes to the idea of friends going on a road trip and not feeling safe anymore. His goal is to bring back that kind of simple, uneasy fear that made the original film so famous.