Twelve years ago, James Wan launched his career and a franchise with “Saw,” the insanely popular torture porn horror that kicked off a new Hollywood genre craze. The series has so far spawned a total of seven films, with the last entry, “Saw 3D,” in theaters way back in 2010. Six years is a lifetime in Hollywood. But the franchise is coming back, so for those fans of ingenious traps laid out to kill young people, today is your day.
Bloody Disgusting has been doing the legwork, and they’ve revealed that “Saw: Legacy” will start shooting in Toronto this fall. Siblings Peter and Michael Spierig (“Undead,” “Daybreakers,” “Predestination“) will be behind the camera, though at the moment, there’s no word yet on the plot or any casting. James Wan and Leigh Whannell will serve as executive producers and, given that cameras are rolling in a matter of months, more official word should be on the way.
But it’s a no brainer why Lionsgate is going ahead with another “Saw” movie. The budgets are low, the return on investment is usually pretty high, and the series to date has earned $873.3 million worldwide. The math is pretty obvious. And perhaps enough time has passed that they can make this series exciting or interesting once again.