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Lionsgate is rebooting “SAW” with…Chris Rock?

Thursday, May 16, 2019 | News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

Well, Jordan Peele and horror worked out, so… The saga of Jigsaw is being reimagined, with several of the original creators also on board.

Variety reports that a new SAW spinoff will be released Oct. 23, 2020 by Lionsgate, which is collaborating with comedian Chris Rock on the project. Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the second through fourth entries in the original franchise, is back at the helm, with original producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules also encoring. Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, who wrote the most recent entry, JIGSAW, are scripting from a story by Rock, who’s executive-producing with Daniel Heffner and SAW creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell; not reported is whether Tobin Bell will be back as Jigsaw.

“I’ve been a fan of SAW since the first film in 2004,” Rock says. “I am excited by the opportunity to take this to a really intense and twisted new place.”

“When Chris Rock came to us and described in chilling detail his fantastic vision that reimagines and spins off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, we were all-in,” says Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake. “SAW is one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time and it’s one of Lionsgate’s most successful film series. This upcoming film will still be as mind-bending and intense as all the previous SAW films. Chris conceived this idea and it will be completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision and passion for this classic horror franchise.”

“Chris wants to put his own spin on the SAW franchise in the way Eddie Murphy put a completely fresh perspective on buddy-cop films with 48 HRS.,” Burg and Koules add. “This new SAW is going to be an event film in the making for horror fans. It will have all of the twists and turns and hardcore layers that our fans expect directed by one of the masters of the craft, Darren Lynn Bousman. We can’t wait to get started.”

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).