Can you believe it's been almost 10 years since James Wan made his directorial debut with 2004's franchise-spawning SAW? Man, how time flies! In celebration of SAW's 10th Anniversary Lionsgate will be re-releasing the film into theaters this Halloween, and while interest in the series hasn't waned much over the past few years, there is renewed interest in seeing a continuation of the franchise. Could we see more bloody carnage from Jigsaw's deadly legacy in the years to come? There's a definite possibility.
Our pals over at Shock Till You Drop recently sat down with producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules to reflect on the series which led to a discussion on the future of the SAW franchise. Both Burg and Koules believe the time is right to get the ball rolling on another film and they would like to have series creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell along for the ride. Koules shares…
“James and Leigh…when Saw came out they were so afraid of being ‘the Saw guys, and they were trying to make their own mark. Now that they’ve made their own mark, they’re very comfortable to come back. We’re getting there. James and Leigh are absolutely going to put their mark on it.”
Koules goes on to say that it could be a long process getting another SAW film going, but the return of the original film to theaters this Halloween is one way to jump-start interest.
“It’s one of the reasons we agreed to do this again. We kind of wanted to build it up. Our goal is to go to Comic-Con, not next summer but the summer after [2016] with our heads up saying, ‘Here we go.’ James and Leigh are comfortable with the success they’ve had. And it’s time. James is in post on his movie. Leigh’s on post on [INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3]. Everyone has time and it’s time.”
How cool would it be to have Wan and Whannell back for the next SAW film in some capacity? You could consider my ticket bought right now!
Wan doesn't rule out the possibility of returning to the director's chair, sharing…
“I’ve entertained the idea. But that’s more of a fantasy, I think. It’s a story Leigh and I really like and…who knows?”
What would another SAW film be? Could it be a sequel, a prequel, or even a reboot? Right now nothing has been decided or revealed, but it's still great to know that there is a strong possibility we could see more from this fun franchise. I'm ready to play another game. How about you?