The original creators are on board as well.
Lionsgate has announced that Mike P. Nelson will direct the next film in the long-running SAW franchise, from a script by Gregory Weidman and Geoff Tock (BELOW, DUNE: PROPHECY). James Wan, who helmed the first SAW, and Leigh Whannell, who wrote several of them, are producing with Jason Blum for Blumhouse Atomic Monster. Plot details have not been revealed, nor what part perennial villain Jigsaw will play, though the PR notes that SAW is the longest-running theatrical horror franchise with a continuous mythology—no reboots or remakes.
“Being asked to play in this twisted sandbox with James is nothing short of a dream come true,” says Nelson, who previously helmed the remakes of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT and WRONG TURN, and whose latest feature BEWARE BOIÚNA opens October 2. “Greg and Geoff and James have crafted such a wild script that brings the mystery of the original while exploring new insane bloody ideas that meld so well with the brutal moral compass of the franchise. Let the games begin!”
“Making the original SAW was a defining experience for me,” says Wan, “so it was essential to find a director who would honor that world. Mike has a raw, distinctive filmmaking voice with an inventive approach to the genre, and I believe he’ll bring something truly unique and special to the franchise.”
“It speaks volumes that James Wan is passionate about returning to this franchise,” adds Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson, “and his belief in Mike evokes his own breakthrough with the original SAW. Mike is one of the promising voices shaping the next generation of horror. He has a singular vision for this film, and we’re incredibly confident in what he’ll deliver.”
