“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Rights Up For Sale… But Who’s Buying?

by Annika March 22, 2025

The rights to the iconic horror franchise, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, have become available, garnering attention from several major producers and studios. This follows news that WME is also selling the rights to Jason Bourne and other Robert Ludlum estate properties. While it’s too early to predict the outcome, prominent names like Texas’ own Glen Powell have expressed interest, leading industry insiders to predict a competitive bidding process. The rights were previously held by Legendary Pictures, which produced a movie in 2022, before returning to original rights holders Exurbia Films.

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Rights Up For Sale… But Who’s Buying?

– The rights to the iconic horror franchise, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are now up for sale, with significant interest from several potential buyers, including Hollywood players Glen Powell, J.T. Molner, and Roy Lee.
– Legendary Pictures had held the rights to the franchise since 2017 and made a movie in 2022, but the rights then returned to the original holder, Exurbia Films, which is fronted by the original movie’s co-screenwriter Kim Henkel.
– The popularity of the film’s rights in the marketplace highlights the profitability and viewership draw of the horror genre, also evident in the recent bidding war for the rights to the Resident Evil franchise.

The rights to another highly esteemed intellectual property have become available, sparking significant intrigue from producers and studios. The news comes hot on the heels of WME’s announcement about the selling of rights to Jason Bourne and titles from the Robert Ludlum estate, indicating that the rights to the respected horror series, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, are now on the table as well.

While a number of key players are demonstrating keen interest, it is too early to predict the future custodians of the rights or what plans they may have. Many are taking note of the interest displayed by some well-known figures, such as Texas’ much-loved star Glen Powell, leading to some speculating about a heated battle for the rights.

The rights were owned by Legendary Pictures since 2017, which went on to produce a film in 2022 that was exclusively available on Netflix. Despite high expectations, a sequel never emerged. The rights then returned to the original holders: Exurbia Films, managed by Pat Cassidy, co-screenwriter of the original movie Kim Henkel, and his son Ian Henkel. Following this, they consulted with their representative at boutique agency Verve.

Currently, there isn’t any bidding war due to no specific package or perspective on the property, but potential plans are already being discussed, with key industry individuals taking interest. Potential collaborations mentioned include Glen Powell, Strange Darling director J.T. Molner, and producer Roy Lee, while “It” filmmaker Andy Muschietti has also been named as a possible interested party.

The original 1974 movie remains a hallmark of the horror genre. The plot revolved around a group of friends encountering a cannibalistic family, including the chainsaw-wielding lunatic named Leatherface. The film was notorious for its graphic violence, leading to it being banned in various states and countries. On the financial aspect, director Tobe Hooper made the film on the cheap, yet it became one of the most profitable movies of all time.

The profound interest in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre underscores the importance of intellectual properties not owned by a media conglomerate. It also highlights the continuing popularity of the horror genre, which consistently manages to attract viewers, irrespective of the screen size. This is further confirmed by studios’ participation in an intense bidding war earlier this year for Resident Evil, another horror franchise that was briefly on the market before being snatched up by Sony.