Obsession filmmaker Curry Barker is aiming to do something different with his reimagining of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre while honoring Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic.
“I think of it as respecting the source material,” Barker told Total Film. “I absolutely love the original film, but I want to do something that’s different. I’m not gonna stray away too far from what we know, but just making it stronger.”
He continued, “Really, 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 really messed up stuff happening at that farm. I genuinely feel as if there’s so much potential for that concept that has not been realized.”
Barker noted, “The original was in the ’70s, and then there was the remakes. The 2003 [remake] was my favorite. It was like my first horror movie I’d ever seen when I was a kid, and I actually think it’s a decent remake.”
He added, “Still, there’s so much that that concept hasn’t really leaned into. I actually feel like there’s a lot to explore. So I’m really excited about it.”
In addition to Barker’s film, A24 is concurrently developing a Texas Chainsaw Massacre TV series spearheaded by Strange Darling filmmaker JT Mollner.
Barker recently wrapped production on his next horror film, Anything But Ghosts. Obsession opens in theaters on May 15.