This franchise refuses to die.
Blumhouse Productions recently acquired a 50% stake in the Saw franchise, while Lionsgate retained its 50% share and will continue as a production and distribution partner. A total of ten Saw movies have been released, the most recent being 2023's "Saw X."
According to Deadline, Mike P. Nelson will direct the next installment of the franchise, which recently returned to the hands of its original architect, James Wan, who is producing under Atomic Monster, now part of Blumhouse, and writer Leigh Whannell, who is also producing.
The next Saw movie will be written by Gregory Weidman and Geoff Tock ("Below," "Dune: Prophecy") and produced by Wan, Jason Blum, and Whannell. Nelson directed the recent remake of "Silent Night, Deadly Night," a segment of "V/H/S/85," "Wrong Turn," and Lionsgate's upcoming "Beware Boiúna," set to hit theaters on October 2.
Back in 2023, "Saw X” was greenlit by Lionsgate and given a September 27, 2024, release date. Months later, it was reported that "Saw XI" had been canceled. Why? The producers started fighting. One producer attempted to "plow forward" with the film, while the other "put up roadblocks," stalling "Saw XI's" production. The bad blood led to a refusal to compromise.
“Saw X,” the most recent instalment, took a perverse delight in inventing ever more creative ways to put severed limbs on display. It may have been one of the franchise's better-reviewed entries, but that didn't make it a good movie.
Honestly, the first Saw, released in 2004, is still the most interesting one: a mostly single-set, memorable horror thriller that felt fresh back in the day. Everything after that was a way for Lionsgate to milk the franchise to death.
Having Wan back, along with Whannell, who wrote the first three installments, suggests the producers don't want this one to be just another cash grab. We'll see how it turns out. I'm not hopeful.
After this weekend, when “Artificial” and “Behemoth!” screen at NYFF, there won’t be many Oscar contenders left unseen. In fact, by my count, there are just two: ‘Cliff Booth,’ and “Dune: Part Three.”