First Look at Rotoscoped ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre’; ‘Creepy’ Podcast Experience to Kick Off Texas Chain Saw Day Theatrical Event on Aug. 18!

Dark Sky Films today announced new additions to this year’s Texas Chain Saw Day, presented by Dark Sky Films and Fathom Entertainment, the annual nationwide celebration of Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which is now officially recognized as a holiday by the National Day Archives, returning to theaters for one night only on August 18, 2026.

Dark Sky and Exurbia Films have also released the first official still from the hand-animated rotoscoped version of the landmark horror film, currently in production for a planned 2027 debut.

The newly released image offers the first public glimpse of the ambitious visual reimagining. Fans looking to see more will have only one opportunity this year: during Texas Chain Saw Day, when theaters nationwide will exclusively present a short behind-the-scenes featurette offering an exploration of the rotoscoping process and a first look at additional hand-animated footage from the film while production is still underway.

In another Texas Chain Saw Day exclusive, Dread Central, its parent company Be Afraid Media, and the CREEPY podcast have teamed up to produce an original four-minute theatrical-only audio experience that will play before the film exclusively in theaters on August 18!!

Narrated by the creator of Creepy, Jon Grilz, and several of his narrators, the chilling prologue recounts the horrific events of August 18, 1974, taking audiences inside one of horror cinema’s most infamous murder sprees before the chainsaw ever revs. Produced specifically for the theatrical event, the audio experience will only be heard by audiences attending Texas Chain Saw Day screenings.