It's been a turbulent few months for Saw fans with Bloody Disgusting revealing back in March that Saw XI was “totally dead”, and with screenwriter Patrick Melton then confirming that “inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate” had stalled the series. But hope may not be lost, as Deadline has revealed that Blumhouse is apparently acquiring the perspective rights to Twisted Pictures’ portion of the Saw franchise.
As Deadline explains, what would happen if the deal goes ahead is that Blumhouse would essentially take over the IP’s ownership from Twisted’s Mark Burg and Oren Koules. Lionsgate, owning 50% off the Saw franchise, would continue to be involved as a partner.
Should the deal go ahead, it will also bring Saw co-creator James Wan back on board with the franchise he helped kickstart all the way back in 2004, due to Blumhouse's recent merger with Wan's Atomic Monster.
Given that the Saw movies have made more than $1.1 billion at the box office spanning more than two decades, and Kevin Greutert's Saw X taking $112M globally back in 2023, the deal should be a no-brainer. Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell, has already expressed a desire to return for Saw XI (which was initially scheduled for release of September this year), although Deadline note that production on another entry is currently not happening.
While none of the above has been confirmed by Blumhouse, Lionsgate or any of the Saw team, it's still very exciting news that we'll certainly be keeping an eye on. Keep your own eyes peeled for updates.
