There are anywhere from five to eight studios in the field, according to the trade. There are apparently “no clear frontrunners” as of this writing, with multiple studio-backed creatives emerging to join the fray. Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is leading a charge, though he’d only participate in a future adaptation as a producer. Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw also has its eye on the project in a similar, production-only capacity. The indie studio would likely produce with Universal, should it win the rights.
Neon is putting forward a team that includes The Monkey and Longlegs director Oz Perkins as well as The Strangers director Bryan Bertino. Perkins would produce and co-write with Bertino, who’s onboard to direct.
Then there’s It and Weapons producer Roy Lee, who wants in so much he has two bids on the table. The first is some sort of TV pitch with A24 and Strange Darling director J.T. Mollner, which would reportedly involve Glen Powell, but not in a starring role. He’s also thrown his hat in the ring with a separate, Netflix-based pitch, although it’s unclear whether that would be a film or TV series.
The victor will be determined by Verve and Exurbia films, the franchise’s current rights holders. Whichever team is chosen will have access to the entire Leatherface canon, including nine films (thus far), books, comics, video games, and a new, permanent Universal attraction titled Universal Horror Unleashed. Conversations are currently slated to begin on Monday, so we’ll likely see how this Hollywood chainsaw massacre plays out over the coming weeks.
