Summary
Ever since horror fans first sawfinal girl Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns)in the 1974 slasherTheTexas Chainsaw Massacre, it was clear that a major franchise was beginning. Several more movies followed, along with video games, and audiences got to knowthe diabolical and violent Leatherface. While Ghostface will always be my favorite villain, I appreciate Leatherface’s pop culture legacy, and I can’t argue with how memorable he is acrossthe franchise’s nine movies.
After hearing the recent news thatseveral filmmakers are looking to take over theTexas Chainsaw Massacre
franchise rights, I’m excited about Leatherface’s future. While of course all three can’t win the rights, I would love to see each version of this creepy and iconic story.
Taylor Sheridan, Oz Perkins, And Jordan Peele Want The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Rights, And I Want To See These Horror Movies
According toDeadline, several big names in Hollywood are hoping to get the rights to theTexas Chainsaw Massacrefranchise:Taylor Sheridan ofYellowstonefame and horror filmmakers Osgood Perkins and Jordan Peele. While Perkins has written and directed several films, he wouldn’t direct the movie andThe StrangersdirectorBryan Bertino. Deadline reported that the filmmakers were starting to talk to Verve, the agency who owns the rights, on Monday, June 9th, 2025.
Based on their past work,each would produce a different version of theTexas Chainsaw Massacrestory, and I think they would all be fascinating. Let’s start with Taylor Sheridan’s version. Since he’s known for creatingthe hit Paramount Plus Western dramaYellowstone, I would imagine hisTexas Chainsaw Massacremovie would be all about the beautiful, sprawling landscape and the loneliness that the main characters feel.
Osgood Perkins has become a huge name in the horror genre and recently wrote and directedLonglegsandThe Monkey. While I can’t get over what I thought wasa big problem inLonglegs, I appreciate Perkins’s vision as a filmmaker, andPerkins’smovies are always literary, poetic, and compelling. Like Sheridan, Perkins would likely focus on the landscape, and there would be more than a few quiet and peaceful shots of Texas. Of course, this would be terrifying and unnerving since audiences would keep wondering when Leatherface was going to jump out of the shadows.
Perkins would make a greatTexas Chainsaw Massacresince the story is all about Leatherface, and he hasexperience crafting a big, splashy, memorable villain. Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs is more than a little eerie. I’m sure his Leatherface would look a bit different than in previous movies, but that would be a good thing. While not everyone lovedThe Monkey,which is set in the ‘90sand features some unique and unforgettable kills, I would imagine that Perkins’sTexas Chainsaw Massacrewould follow in that movie’s footsteps and feature some kills that would get horror fans talking.
I would also love to see Jordan Peele’sTexas Chainsaw Massacre, and after watchingthe brilliant Blumhouse movieGet Outand2022’sNope, which both have important messages. I know his version would have a lot to say. Rather than make a straight slasher with Leatherface adding to his already huge body count, Peele’s movie would be an allegory about a political issue. But, of course, Peele’s work is so impressive that the storyline would be well-crafted and unpredictable.
The 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie Wasn’t Well-Received
WhileLeatherface is one of the most iconic and violent horror villains, not every film in the franchise is well-done. I agree with the many fans who weredisappointed byTexas Chainsaw Massacre, the 2022 movie released on Netflix.
The movie only has a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 25% rating on the Popcornmeter, which speaks tothe lackluster story and upsetting ending. This time around, Leatherface is chasing Lila (Elsie Fisher) and Melody (Sarah Yarkin) in Harlow, Texas. The 2022 movie suffers fromtwo main problems: a lack of scares and a bad ending. While Leatherface is as dark and violent as ever, the movie doesn’t feel as unnerving as it should. I don’t think that every horror movie needs a happy ending, and in fact, many slashers have fascinating, ambiguous conclusions. However, I think that 2022’sTexas Chainsaw Massacreshould have ended with at least one of the two new final girls surviving.
While fans wait to find outwhich filmmaker will win the rights to Leatherface’s evil story, it’s best to skip the 2022 movie and go back to the original.
