The future of the Saw franchise has been revealed after fan concerns that a new movie in the saga wouldn’t see the light of day.
Earlier this year, the 11th film in the gruesome torture series was cancelled as reported studio-level disagreements stalled out the project.
Now, the saga has been partially acquired by Blumhouse after a long negotiation.
This means the franchise will now return to the hands of James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who directed and wrote the first hit movie back in the early 2000s.
Lionsgate
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Wan’s own Atomic Monster merged with Blumhouse last year and is known for producing some of the most profitable scary flicks of recent years — including M3GAN and The Conjuring films.
Meanwhile, Whannell has a partnership deal with the horror production banner, which funded his directorial projects, including excellent Dark Universe remake The Invisible Man.
Following the success of the first Saw movie, distributor Lionsgate inked a nine-movie deal with Twisted Pictures. As the production company agreed to let go of some shares, the franchise takes an exciting direction with Wan and Whannell potentially returning in key creative roles.
“For me, this will mark a significant creative return to the Saw franchise for the first time since the early days, and I’m very much looking forward to embracing the original spirit whilst pushing the legacy forward in bold, unexpected ways,” Wan said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Lionsgate
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Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum hinted at having Wan and Whannell “back in the fold” as the saga moves forward “with their guidance”.
The films will continue to be distributed by Lionsgate, which also owns some shares in the property.
“Over the course of ten chilling and thrilling Saw films, [Twisted Pictures’] Oren [Koules] and Mark [Burg] have been outstanding partners, producers, and stewards of this billion-dollar franchise which has played a massive role in Lionsgate history,” Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson said.
“As they pass the baton to James – whose direction started it all – and to Jason and the team at Blumhouse, Billy couldn’t be in more gifted or twisted hands. Game on.”
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).