Lionsgate will be hoping that comedian Chris Rock can do for the Saw franchise what Danny McBride did with Halloween last year, as the studio has announced that it is teaming with Rock to expand the world of the horror series with a new film set to arrive in October 2020.
“I’ve been a fan of Saw since the first film in 2004,” said Rock. “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,” added Joe Drake of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group. “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.”
EW reports that Saw sequel helmer Darren Lynn Bousman is set to direct the new film, which has been scripted by Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg from a story by Rock. James Wan and Leigh Whannell, director and writer of the original Saw movie, will executive produce alongside franchise veteran Daniel Heffner.
The first Saw was released in 2004, and spawned six sequels – the last of which, Jigsaw, arrived in 2017. Between them, the seven movies have grossed over $975 million at the global box office.
