It’s officially Blumhouse‘s time to play a game. News broke earlier this month that the production giant was set to acquire the rights to the long-running Saw franchise from Twisted Pictures, ensuring a future for the films and their many inventive traps. Today, that deal is now finalized with Jason Blum‘s banner reaching an agreement to purchase an ownership stake after negotiating with Oren Koules and Mark Burg‘s production company since last year. Terms haven’t been made public yet, but Lionsgate is also set to keep its slice of the bloody pie, remaining on board as a distributor as it has since the first installment in 2004.
In addition to Blumhouse and Lionsgate, Content Partners, the parent company of Revolution Studios, has also purchased a stake in the existing library of Saw movies. The confirmed involvement of Blumhouse, however, is a massive development for the future of Jigsaw and company. A report from Bloody Disgusting back in March seemed to spell game over for the popular horror franchise when it revealed infighting among producers stemming back to 2024 stopped Saw XI dead in its tracks. With things finalized, James Wan will now be reunited with his creation, with his Atomic Monster banner now under the Blumhouse fold. It’s too early to say anything about a new movie, but the likelihood of a follow-up to the open-ended conclusion of Saw X is a lot higher than it was just a few short months back.
“The Saw franchise has defined a generation of horror, and its cultural impact continues to grow, making this a strategic investment in one of the most recognizable and successful genre properties of the last two decades,” Blum said in an official statement about the deal. “But what really excites me about bringing Saw to Blumhouse is having James and Leigh [Whannell] back in the fold and to see the future of the franchise come to life with their guidance.” The prospect of Wan and Whannell taking a more direct creative role for the first time since their 2004 classic should be exciting for longtime fans. Although they conceived of the billion-dollar torture-filled franchise and have remained on as executive producers since then, the pair has only ever directly crafted the original together. Wan sounded eager about the possibilities, adding in his own statement, “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.”
The Blumhouse Deal Marks the End of an Era for ‘Saw’
While the deal with Blumhouse points to a brighter future for Saw, it’s also bittersweet for longtime producers Koules and Burg. Under Twisted Pictures, the pair produced every film in the Saw franchise to date, including 2021’s spin-off film Spiral starring Chris Rock. They showed belief in Wan and Whannell‘s vision by bankrolling the low-budget franchise debut starring Whannell, Cary Elwes, and Tobin Bell that eventually became one of the most profitable horror films ever made. They’ve seen both the gory highs and lows of the franchise as they’ve worked with a stable of directors over the years, most recently including Saw X‘s Kevin Greutert. Yet, Koules was happy to see the series pass back into the hands of its creators, as well as one of modern horror’s greatest stewards behind everything from Insidious to M3GAN, Get Out, and more.
In his statement, Burg recalled the moment he and Koules met Wan and Whannell and explained the decision to pass the baton to Blumhouse:
“Twenty-one years ago we met James Wan and Leigh Whannell and financed the first Saw movie. The film was magical, and a hit beyond our wildest dreams, and our fans kept the franchise alive for over 20 years. It’s been an amazing ride and, with the recent passing of our beloved executive producer, Jason Constantine, it’s time for me to move on and tell new stories. Saw will always be a part of my history and Hollywood history, and I hope Jigsaw and the Saw Universe live on for many more movies and years to come.”
via Collider