Director of A24's Texas Chainsaw Massacre says the franchise "went the complete opposite direction than it should have gone", as he teases his "brutal", emotional reboot

It's only been one week since he was officially tapped to direct it, but Curry Barker says he already "has a lot of ideas" for A24's upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot.

Talking to GamesRadar+ at our exclusive preview screening of his upcoming horror Obsession, the filmmaker heaped praise on Tobe Hooper's 1974 original – but admitted to thinking that the eight chapters that followed went down... an unusual route...

"Listen, I love the original, and I think that that one is so raw and was really good for its time. I actually think the 2003 remake is quite good, too, but I know there's a nostalgia there," Barker explained. "I know there's a lot of remakes, and I've seen some of the comments on announcements I'm doing [another] that are like 'Are people excited about this?' And a lot of people are excited about it, but a lot of people are like, 'There's so many. Put this thing to bed. It's all been done... I beg to differ.

"Seriously, I really think that the potential for that series has not been fully realized. I actually feel like a lot of the remakes went the complete opposite direction that then it should have gone," he continued. "I'm really excited to do a Texas Chainsaw Massacre that's not just about a guy chasing some people around with the chainsaw. [One] that has some heart to it, you know? Where you care about these characters, and you want to see them survive, but you know... is still brutal."

In a separate exclusive chat, Barker – whose introduction to the genre was Marcus Nispel's Jessica Biel-fronted flick – told us that he'd be keen to "lean into the uncomfortability of the family" with his take. "I want to do something that's different, but not stray too far from what we know," he added. "There's some really messed-up stuff happening at that farm. It's untapped."

Before we'll get to see what he's cooking up, Barker is set to release Obsession. Having debuted to an impressive 100% Rotten Tomatoes score at TIFF in September 2025, it centers on shy guy Bear (Michael Johnston), who's sweet on his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette).

Scared to wreck their decades-spanning friendship, though, he doesn't have the courage to ask her out. Desperate, he uses a mysterious item called a One Wish Willow to beg that Nikki "loved him more than anyone else in the f***ing world" – and, well, soon comes to regret it. Bear can't match up to Nikki's unrelenting devotion once the wish takes hold, and as Nikki's affections start having increasingly dark consequences, his dream quickly turns into a nightmare.

Obsession releases on May 15. While we wait for more news on Barker's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.