5 days ago
Blumhouse Acquires SAW Rights From Twisted Pictures; James Wan Comes Back to the Franchise — GeekTyrant
Blumhouse is stepping into the blood-soaked legacy of Saw .
Jason Blum's horror studio is acquiring the rights to Twisted Pictures' share of the Saw franchise. This is a big and interesting move, especially since it brings James Wan, who directed the first film in the franchise, back into the franchise.
Lionsgate still owns 50% of the Saw IP and will remain an active partner in future projects. But Twisted Pictures' Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who've steered the ship from the beginning, are handing off their share, signaling a major shift for the long-running horror brand.
At the moment, no new Saw film is officially in development. Still, this shake-up makes it inevitable that more Jigsaw mayhem is coming.
For horror fans, this will mark a fresh era for the franchise. Blumhouse has already worked with both Wan and Leigh Whannell on hits like Insidious and The Invisible Man . Reuniting with the Saw universe could spark a tonal recalibration, especially after the stalled development of Saw XI.
That project, once aimed at a September 2025 release, hit a wall when Lionsgate and producers couldn't align creatively. A script from Saw veterans Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan had been submitted, with Saw X director Kevin Greutert on board. But despite Saw X pulling in $112M globally on an $18.3M opening weekend, plans for the eleventh film were shelved.
The original Saw was made on a shoestring budget and exploded out of the gate with an $18.6M opening, eventually grossing $104M worldwide. Over time, the franchise racked up over $1 billion in global box office, and its influence spread into games, comics, haunted house attractions, Halloween masks… you name it.
At the heart of the franchise is John 'Jigsaw' Kramer and his disciples trapping victims in horrific moral games, doling out punishment and enlightenment through gore and psychological terror.
With Blumhouse now in the game, and Wan potentially closer to the property than he's been in years, the question is no longer if Saw will return—but how.
Let the games begin… again.
Source: Deadline
