Latest news with #TwistedPictures
Screen Geek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Blumhouse Officially Gets 'Saw' Rights With James Wan & Leigh Whannell Involved
The Saw film franchise has been in a difficult time following the success of Saw X . In fact, it was unclear if fans were ever getting an eleventh Saw movie. Now things have taken a turn for the better with the announcement that Blumhouse has acquired the rights to the Saw franchise. As shared via Deadline, this deal will also allow James Wan and Leigh Whannell to return to the franchise in a creative capacity. Though details are being kept under wraps at this time, this is all due to Blumhouse's acquisition of the rights owned by Twisted Pictures. Lionsgate still owns the other 50% of the franchise and they will continue to be involved as a partner. Fans of the franchise are quite familiar with James Wan's contributions, having specifically directed the original 2004 film that started it all. Leigh Whannell, on the other hand, operated as a co-writer on the 2004 movie alongside Wan. Whannell returned to contribute his writing to Saw II , later writing Saw III based on a story he co-wrote with Whannell, and thus passing the series off to new creators with Saw IV . Wan continued to receive an executive producer credit on the following films, though he was no longer involved creatively. Now that Blumhouse has the rights to the Saw franchise, this will give Wan an opportunity to be involved once again, especially since his own Atomic Monster label recently merged with the studio. An eleventh Saw film has yet to enter production – though one was previously announced for a September 2025 release date. Big plans are currently being put into place here, however, so we'll likely have more news regarding the franchise's future soon. Saw X recently rejuvenated the brand quite successfully, so hopefully fans will see the series continue in that direction. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the Saw film franchise as we have them – especially now that Blumhouse has acquired Twisted Pictures' share of the rights. Exciting times are ahead for fans of the long-running horror franchise.
Geek Tyrant
05-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Tyrant
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
Geek Culture
05-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Culture
Blumhouse Potentially Acquiring 'Saw' Rights, Reconnecting Co-Creator James Wan With Franchise
In a deal that would mark a full-circle moment for the Saw franchise, Deadline has reported that Blumhouse is in talks to acquire the ownership stake of the intellectual property (IP) from Twisted Pictures. It's an old back-and-forth between the two companies, but if the takeover goes through, the cult horror series will partially be back in the hands of original film director James Wan, also credited as co-creator alongside scribe Leigh Whannell. Lionsgate, distributor of the movies since 2004, is set to remain a partner. Blumhouse, founded by Jason Blum, merged with Wan's production banner, Atomic Monster, early last year. Some of its notable upcoming titles for the year include M3GAN 2.0 , releasing on 27 June, and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 , slated to hit the silver screen in December. As for Saw , it went against the slim odds of an 18-day shoot and a US$1.2 million production budget to become one of the most profitable horror movies of all time. The feature earned a global haul of US$104 million, spawning several sequels that centred on trapped victims of notorious serial killer John 'Jigsaw' Kramer trying to survive through physical or psychological torture. The first follow-up, titled Saw II , debuted one year later in October 2005, with the last instalment being 2023's Saw X . An 11th film was previously in development for September 2025, but is no longer on the release slate after conflicting producer visions stalled the process. Veteran actor Tobin Bell was originally set to reprise his role as Jigsaw, and while it's unclear how things will now pan out, Billy the Puppet — the ventriloquist dummy used in the films by Jigsaw — assured fans that 'the game is never over'. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Atomic Monster Blumhouse productions James Wan Saw
Screen Geek
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Blumhouse Acquires 'Saw' Rights From Twisted Pictures
The Saw film franchise will reportedly no longer be under the control of Twisted Pictures. The production label, which was rumored to have been suffering from disputes that kept Saw 11 from happening, is said to be giving their share of rights to Blumhouse. As shared via Deadline, this would be 'a deal that will bring James Wan back in touch with the mega horror IP he created.' The outlet adds that 'Blumhouse essentially is taking over the IP's ownership from Twisted's Mark Burg and Oren Koules.' For those wondering how Lionsgate will fit into all of this, the studio is said to 'continue to be involved as a partner and, in fact, owns 50% of the franchise.' This means Blumhouse would now own the other 50% of the franchise alongside Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures will no longer have any stake in the franchise. With that said, it's unknown what plans they could have for the franchise. There's no eleventh film in development at this time, but if Blumhouse takes over the rights, it's likely that development will be fast-tracked. Interestingly, Blumhouse recently merged with James Wan's label Atomic Monster, which means that the Saw franchise would be going back to Wan. While he's been credited as an executive producer on all of the sequels, Wan was really only ever involved with the original movie, which he directed for a release in 2004. The most recent installment in the franchise, Saw X , was a huge success with fans, critics, and at the box office. While an eleventh film seemed inevitable, things have been complicated, so one can hope that Blumhouse's reported acquisition of the rights will allow the franchise to get back on track. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Saw updates as we have them. For now, this is a major development for one of horror's biggest franchises, and it'll be exciting to see what comes of it going forward.
Express Tribune
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Blumhouse acquires Saw franchise rights from Twisted Pictures
Blumhouse is reportedly acquiring the rights to the Saw franchise from Twisted Pictures, marking a major shift in the future of the iconic horror series. According to Deadline, the deal will give Blumhouse ownership of Twisted Pictures' 50% stake in the franchise, while Lionsgate will retain its share and remain a production partner. This move comes after Saw XI was unexpectedly pulled from its planned September 26, 2025 release. Behind-the-scenes disputes between Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures had stalled production and left the fate of the franchise uncertain. With Blumhouse now stepping in, hopes for the return of the Saw series have been reignited. Although no new Saw movie is currently in development, the acquisition suggests Blumhouse has long-term plans for the franchise. Notably, the deal also reconnects Saw with co-creator James Wan. Thanks to the recent merger between Blumhouse and Wan's Atomic Monster production company, Wan is expected to have renewed involvement with the series he helped launch. The Saw franchise began in 2004 and became one of the most successful horror film series of all time. After a successful 10th installment, fans were anticipating Saw XI until development issues paused progress. While details remain scarce, industry insiders believe that Blumhouse's track record with horror franchises could breathe new life into Saw, potentially reuniting fans with the iconic Jigsaw in the near future. More updates are expected as the transition unfolds.
