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Five Nights at Freddy's producer Blumhouse now owns the Saw franchise
Jigsaw has a new home, and it's reuniting him with the people who created the Saw franchise in the first place: writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan
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Horror has a new… owner? Well, one particular horror franchise, at least: Blumhouse has announced that it has acquired the rights to the Saw movies, reuniting the series with the director that started it all back in 2004, James Wan.
Rights to the movies had previously rested with producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg. Koules released a statement regarding the news, saying, “With the success of the tenth film, this felt like the right time to pass the baton. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built with Lionsgate over the past 20 years and deeply grateful to the fans who’ve been with us since the beginning. It’s especially meaningful to see the franchise return to its original creators, James and Leigh [Whannell, screenwriter of the original movie], and I can’t think of a better partner than Jason to lead Saw into its next chapter. On a personal note, I know the late Gregg Hoffman, my original partner on this journey, would be so happy with this ending.”
Wan added in his own statement, “Saw holds a special place in my heart — it’s where Leigh and I began our Hollywood journey. Coming back to this world with a fresh perspective is both thrilling and deeply personal. 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.”
Wan is CEO and founder of Atomic Monster, which merged with Blumhouse in 2024. As part of the new deal, Wan and Leigh Whannell will be attached to the Saw franchise moving forward. Lionsgate, which has released the movies to this point, will continue to be a partner in the property.
“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. But what really excites me about bringing Saw to Blumhouse is having James and Leigh back in the fold and to see the future of the franchise come to life with their guidance,” Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum, said in his own statement.
As recently as March, the future of the Saw franchise was in doubt due to what was described as “higher-level things” and disagreements between producers and Lionsgate. It’s unclear from Blumhouse’s announcement whether the pre-existing plans for Saw XI will be dropped and replaced with something altogether new, but comments about Wan and Whannell taking on the future of the franchise certainly suggest so.
Of course, now that Saw is controlled by the same studio that makes Five Nights at Freddy's movies, dare we dream of a crossover at some point in the future...? Just imagine how bloody it could be.
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