Taylor Sheridan Could Be the New Face of Horror — Yellowstone Creator Eyes $247M Franchise

Taylor Sheridan is in the middle of filming the second season of his hit show, Landman, but he may be moving in on the territory of an iconic horror franchise. Deadline reports that Sheridan’s name has “gained steam” as a potential acquirer of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, which is likely due to his deep roots in the state of Texas. Sheridan would only serve as a producer on a potential project if he ultimately decides to go through with the sale. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has grossed $247 million from five movies, which might not seem like a lot, but these five movies were collectively produced for less than $50 million. A Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie with a bigger budget — one Sheridan could certainly afford to foot the bill for — could do extraordinary numbers at the box office.

There are a few other suitors who have thrown their names in the hat, other than Taylor Sheridan. Distributor NEON (Anora) is also interested in acquiring the Texas Chainsaw Massacre property, which would reportedly lead to Oz Perkins (Longlegs, The Monkey) writing a version of the film with Bryan Bertino directing. Iconic horror writer and director Jordan Peele is also interested via his Monkeypaw producing banner. Monkeypaw has a deal with Universal, which could help float some serious cash behind the purchase. Producer Roy Lee (A Minecraft Movie) is also interested in acquiring the Texas Chainsaw Massacre property for two potential projects — a TV series via A24 with Glen Powell involved as a producer, and a feature film at Netflix. There are reportedly no frontrunners among this star-studded bunch.

What Was the Most Recent ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Movie?

The franchise began in 1974 with the release of the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which grossed a miraculous $26 million against a $140,000 budget. The most recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie debuted in 2022, but the film did not receive a theatrical release and was instead released straight to Netflix. The slasher horror film stars Mark Burnham as Leatherface, with Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Jacob Latimore, and more filling out the rest of the supporting cast. David Blue Garcia directed with a script from the duo that delivered Alien: Romulus, Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues. The film was poorly recieved by critics and audiences, earning scores of 30% from critics and 25% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.