A24 Taps Obsession Filmmaker Curry Barker to Direct New Texas Chainsaw Massacre Reimagining

A24 secured the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise rights earlier this year after a heated bidding war. Now, the studio has found its director for the feature film reimagining: Curry Barker.

Barker is 25 years old and has had a rise rarely seen in Hollywood. He came up making YouTube sketch comedy, then shot an $800 horror movie and posted it for free online, where it racked up more than 2 million views and caught the industry’s attention. His TIFF Midnight Madness title Obsession was snapped up by Focus Features for $15M+, and it opens in theaters on May 15th. It currently sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 47 reviews. So, yes, A24 knows exactly what they are getting.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Barker will write and direct his own take on the property, billed by insiders as a “reimagining” of the 1974 horror classic created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. His specific vision for Leatherface is being kept under wraps. Producing the film are Roy Lee and Steven Schneider of Spooky Pictures, along with Stuart Manashil and Exurbia Films’ Pat Cassidy, Ian Henkel, and Kim Henkel. Ben Ross of Image Nation serves as executive producer.

This project is completely separate from the A24 Texas Chainsaw TV series, which is being spearheaded by Strange Darling filmmaker JT Mollner, with Glen Powell and Dan Cohen producing. Two takes on the same chainsaw, which is either very exciting or a lot to ask of Leatherface.

For UK horror fans keeping score: Obsession, the film that landed Barker this gig, was acquired out of the Toronto International Film Festival and is being released by Focus Features, which distributes through Universal Pictures internationally. A UK release date for Obsession has not yet been confirmed, though a 2026 theatrical window is expected given its May 15th US opening. No BBFC rating has been issued yet.

“It was a difficult decision, but A24’s embrace of boundary-testing genre film, and its record of working with artists who are inclined to test boundaries made them a compelling choice. Plus, we believe having a great creative and producing team in place gives us the best shot at a series that could be genuinely eye-opening and unexpected. There’s an epic tale lurking in the Chainsaw backstory.”

———Henkel

Barker is also currently in production on Anything But Ghosts under the Blumhouse banner, in which he will direct, co-write, and star. It centers on two fraudulent paranormal investigators who are forced to face actual ghosts, and the lies holding their business together. The man is busy.

We’ll keep you posted on updates about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as the project develops.