Glen Powell Confirms 1 Majorly Disappointing Detail About His ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Reboot [Exclusive]

Since word broke earlier this year that multiple studios and Hollywood bigwigs were vying for the opportunity to return audiences to the world of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, fans of the iconic horror flick have been waiting patiently to learn more. Most recently, it was rumored that Strange Darling scribe and director, J.T. Mollner would stand at the helm of the reboot with industry favorite, Glen Powell, leading the cast. Today, thanks to a conversation between the latter and Collider’s Perri Nemiroff during the press junket for Powell’s upcoming Stephen King adaptation, The Running Man, we’ve got a better idea of how things are coming together and can even confirm one rumor while dispelling another.

Immediately shooting down the whispers that he’d be the new movie’s leading man, Powell said, “Well, I’m just producing it with Barnstorm. I’m not starring in it.” And just like that, Powell ripped the bandaid off and broke the hearts of fans around the world. But that was just the bad news. The good news is that it sounds like Mollner will, in fact, be the filmmaker tasked with bringing one of the most notorious horror franchises back to screens, with Powell continuing, “But I will say J.T. is one of the great filmmakers. Dan Cohen, my producing partner, and I identified J.T. earlier as one of the great voices, and I think he’s going to be a part of our cinematic lives for a long time. And the fact that he’s such a fan of Texas Chainsaw.”

As for how the new movie will shape up and whether it will be a direct reboot or something different, Powell was sure to keep his cards close to his chest, telling Nemiroff, “I grew up on Texas Chainsaw. I’m not going to give away any spoilers about what we’re sort of building and what we’re planning, but the team around it is extraordinary, and we’re going to do it justice. I promise.”

When Did ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Chatter Start Revving?

Image via New Line Cinema 

Back in March, it was revealed that Verve, the company that holds the rights to the franchise, was putting it back on the market. At the time, quite a few names were invested in the battle for the IP, with Mollner and producer Roy Lee facing off against the likes of A24 (Hereditary), Lionsgate (The Long Walk), Neon (Longlegs), and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw. Even Yellowstone universe creator Taylor Sheridan threw his name in the ring, because if there’s one thing that man loves, it’s Texas.

As of right now, no further details have emerged surrounding what we can expect should the project continue to move forward, but stay tuned to Collider for more information and see Powell take on the man when The Running Man sprints into cinemas on November 7.

Release Date

October 17, 2003

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Marcus Nispel, Kenny Bates