Curry Barker Plans to Explore the Sawyer Family in His ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’

As I wrote before, Curry Barker’s Obsession is set to hit theaters next month, and for those unfamiliar with his work, that is about to change. A distinctive young voice, Barker has shown a rare ability to connect audiences with his characters while also pushing material to its extremes. As previously reported, Obsession originally earned an NC-17 rating before being dialed back to secure an R-rated theatrical release. Taken together, it positions him as a compelling and arguably ideal choice to take on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its iconic killer, Leatherface.

It was announced just weeks ago that Barker will direct the next installment of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for A24. With Obsession heading to theaters soon, he’s already talked at length about his vision for the new film, noting that “the potential for that series has not been fully realized,” and that he’s “excited to do a Texas Chainsaw Massacre that’s not just about a guy chasing some people around with a chainsaw, that has some heart to it.” He also told Total Film: “You care about these characters and want to see them survive, and you know, it’s brutal.”

Total Film posted a follow-up video with Barker, who goes into greater depth about his plans for the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which will again focus on the Sawyer family dynamic.

“I think of it as respecting the source material; I absolutely love the original film,” Barker stated.

“But I want to do something different,” he continues. “I’m not going to stray away from what we know, but just making it stronger. I want to lean into the uncomfortability of the family, I want to lean into the rawness of what’s going on there. There’s some messed-up stuff happening at that farm.