The Saw Franchise

[Doot 2]

                                             

Saw is an American horror franchise distributed by Lionsgate, produced by Twisted Pictures and created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, that consists of eight feature films and additional media. In 2003, Wan and Whannell made a short filmto help pitch as a potential feature film. This was successfully done in 2004 with the release of the first installment at the Sundance Film Festival. It was released theatrically that October. The sequels were directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, David Hackl, and Kevin Greutert, and were written by Wan, Whannell, Bousman, Patrick Melton, and Marcus Dunstan, and were released subsequently every October, on the Friday before Halloween, between 2004 and 2010. Both of the creators remained with the franchise as executive producers. On July 22, 2010, producer Mark Burg confirmed that the seventh film, Saw 3D, is the final installment of the series. Lionsgate reportedly expressed interest in continuing the franchise in 2012 with a reboot. However, in November 2013, it was reported that they were in active development of a sequel.

The franchise revolves around John Kramer, also called the "Jigsaw Killer" or simply "Jigsaw". He was introduced briefly in Saw and developed in more detail in Saw II. Rather than killing his victims outright, Jigsaw traps them in situations that he calls "tests" or "games" to test their will to live through physical or psychological torture. Despite the fact that John was murdered in Saw III, the films continue to focus on the posthumous influence of the Jigsaw Killer and his apprentices by exploring his character via flashbacks.

The films collectively grossed over $873 million at the box office worldwide. The film series as a whole has received mostly mixed to negative reviews by critics, but has been a financial success at the box office and is one of the highest grossing horror film franchises of all time. While the films are classified as torture **** by critics, the creators of Saw disagree with the term.

 

 

 

THE FILMS

 

Saw

Saw is a 2004 American horror film directed by James Wan. It is Wan's feature film directorial debut. The screenplay, written by Leigh Whannell, is based on a story by Wan and Whannell. The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, Tobin Bell and Leigh Whannell. In the film, Elwes and Whannell portray two men who awake to find themselves chained in a large dilapidated bathroom, with one being ordered to kill the other or his family will die. It is the first installment in the Saw franchise.

The debut of Wan and Whannell, the screenplay was written in 2001, but after failed attempts to get the script produced in Wan and Whannell's home country of Australia, they were urged to travel to Los Angeles. In order to help attract producers they shot a low-budget short film of the same name from a scene out of the script. This proved successful in 2003 as producers from Evolution Entertainment were immediately attached and also formed a horror genre production label Twisted Pictures. The film was given a small budget and shot for 18 days.

Saw was first screened on January 19, 2004. Lionsgate picked up the rights and released the film in the United States and Canada on October 29, 2004. Critical responses were generally mixed and divided, but the film gained a cult following. Compared to its low budget, Saw performed very well at the box office, grossing more than $100 million worldwide and becoming, at the time, one of the most profitable horror films since 1996's Scream. The success of the film prompted a green-light of a sequel soon after Saw's opening weekend, which was released the following October.

The film was theatrically re-released by Lionsgate on October 31, 2014 to celebrate its tenth anniversary

 

Saw II

Saw II is a 2005 American horror film, a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the Saw franchise, directed and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman and series creator Leigh Whannell. The film stars Donnie Wahlberg, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Beverley Mitchell, Dina Meyer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Shawnee Smith, and Tobin Bell.

The film features Jigsaw being apprehended by the police, but trapping the arresting officer in one of his own games while showing another game of eight people — including the officer's son — in progress on TV monitors at another location. It also explores some of John Kramer's backstory, providing a partial explanation of his reason for becoming Jigsaw.

After the financial success of Saw, a sequel was immediately green-lit. Leigh Whannell and James Wan were busy preparing for their next film and were unable to write or direct. Bousman wrote a script called The Desperate before Saw was released and was looking for a producer but many studios rejected it. Hoffman received the script and showed it to his partners Mark Burg and Oren Koules. It was decided that, with some changes, it could be made into Saw II. Whannell became available to provide rewrites of the script. The film was given a larger budget and was shot from May to June 2005 in Toronto.[citation needed]

Saw II was released on October 28, 2005 and, despite mixed reviews from critics, was a financial success, with opening takings of $31.9 million and grossing $88 million in the United States and Canada. It has remained the highest grossing Sawfilm in those countries. Bell was nominated for "Best Villain" at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards for his role as Jigsaw in the film. Saw II was released to DVD on February 14, 2006 and topped charts its first week, selling more than 3 million units. At the time, it was the fastest-selling theatrical DVD in Lionsgate's history.[citation needed] It was followed by Saw III, which was released October 2006.

 

Saw III

Saw III is a 2006 American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. It is the third installment in the Saw franchise and stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, and Dina Meyer. Saw III marks the first appearances of Costas Mandylor and Betsy Russell, albeit minor roles; they would later become major characters in the series.

The story follows Jeff Denlon, a man who, after his son is killed in a hit-and-run, is put through a series of tests by Jigsaw in order to try to get him to let go of his vengeance for the man that killed his son. Meanwhile, a bed-ridden John Kramer has his apprentice Amanda Young kidnap Jeff's wife, Lynn, who is tasked with keeping him alive for one final test before he dies.

Development began right after the successful opening weekend of Saw II. Filming took place in Toronto from May to June 2006. Whannell aimed to make the story more emotional than previous installments, particularly with the Amanda and Jigsaw storyline. The film is dedicated to producer Gregg Hoffman who died on December 4, 2005.[5][6]

Saw III was released on October 27, 2006 and was a financial success, opening to $33.6 million and grossing $80.2 million in the United States and Canada. It is the highest-grossing film of the series in the international market with $84.6 million and the highest-grossing film in the series with $164.8 million worldwide. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Bell was nominated for "Best Villain" at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards and the film received nominations for a Saturn Awardas "Best Horror Film" and Teen Choice Award. The film was released to DVD and Blu-ray Disc on January 23, 2007 and topped the charts selling 2.5 million units in its first week. It was followed by Saw IV, released in October 2007.

 

Saw IV

Saw IV is a 2007 American-Canadian horror film and the fourth installment in the Saw franchise. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by newcomers Marcus Dunstan, Patrick Melton, and Thomas Fenton. It stars Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, and Lyriq Bent.

The film continues the story of the Jigsaw Killer's obsession with teaching people the value of their lives. Despite Jigsaw's death in the previous installment, the film focuses on his ability to manipulate people into continuing his work. The story follows Lieutenant Daniel Rigg being put through a series of tests in order to try to let go of his obsession with saving everyone, whilst at the same time attempting to save his partner.

The film was released in North America on October 26, 2007 to generally negative reviews from critics. Despite this, the film was a box office success, grossing $139 million worldwide. It was followed by Saw V on October 24, 2008.

 

Saw V

Saw V is a 2008 American-Canadian horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Julie Benz, Carlo Rota, and Meagan Good. It is the fifth installment in the Saw franchise, and was released on October 23, 2008 in Australia and October 24, 2008 in North America.

David Hackl, who served as the production designer of Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV, and second-unit director for Saw III and Saw IV made his directorial debut with Saw V.[4] Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, the writers of the previous film, returned to write the film. Charlie Clouser, who provided the score for all previous Saw films, also returned to compose the score for the film. Saw creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell served as executive producers.

The film focuses primarily on the events that led up to Detective Mark Hoffman becoming an apprentice of the Jigsaw Killer, as well as his efforts to prevent anyone else from learning his secret.

 

Saw VI

Saw VI is a 2009 American horror film directed by Kevin Greutert from a screenplay written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sixth installment in the Saw franchise and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Bryan Callen, and Shawnee Smith. It was produced by Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Twisted Pictures and distributed by Lionsgate.

Saw VI continues the franchise's focus on the posthumous effects of the Jigsaw Killer and the progression of his successor, Mark Hoffman. In this film, Hoffman sets a series of traps for an insurance executive, William Easton, and his employees. Meanwhile, the FBI trails Peter Strahm, now suspected of being Jigsaw's last accomplice, and Hoffman is drawn into motion to protect his secret identity.

Greutert, who served as editor for all the previous Saw films, made his directorial debut with Saw VI. Melton and Dunstan, the writers for both Saw IV and Saw V, returned to write the screenplay and Charlie Clouser, who provided the score for all previous Saw films, composed the score. Filming took place in Toronto from March to May 2009 with a budget of $11 million.

The film was released in New Zealand and Australia on October 22, 2009, and October 23, 2009 in the United States and Canada. In Spain it was the first film to receive a Película X rating for violence (a rating usually reserved for ****ographic films); the rating restricted screenings to eight select theaters in that country. It was released almost a year later on October 8, 2010 in Spain with an "18" rating, after the producers had the offensive content edited out, according to the rating board.[2] With gross receipts of $14 million in its opening weekend, Saw VI placed second to Paranormal Activity's $21 million. Saw VI went on to gross over $68 million worldwide, the lowest-grossing Saw film to date, but still a financial success compared to its small budget. Reviews were mixed, with some criticizing the acting and others praising Greutert's directing.

 

Saw 3D

Saw 3D (also known as Saw: The Final Chapter, or simply Saw VII)[3] is a 2010 American 3D horror film directed by Kevin Greutert, written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery and Cary Elwes. It is the seventh (and originally intended final) installment of the Saw franchise, and the only film in the series to be in 3D.

The film focuses on a man who falsely claims to be a Jigsaw survivor, becoming a local celebrity. However, he soon finds himself part of a real Jigsaw game where he must ultimately save his wife. Meanwhile, Jill Tuck reveals to an internal affairs officer that rogue Detective Mark Hoffman is the man responsible for the recent Jigsaw games, and Hoffman hunts her down.

An eighth installment was planned, but the decrease in the box office performance for Saw VI compared to previous installments led to Saw 3D being the final planned film in the series, and the plot concept for Saw VIII being incorporated into Saw 3D. Saw V director David Hackl was to direct the film, but two weeks before filming Lionsgate announced that Greutert, who directed the sixth film, would direct. Principal photography took place in Toronto, Ontario from February to April 2010 and was shot with the SI-3D digital camera system, as opposed to shooting with traditional cameras and later transferring to 3D in post-production.

Saw 3D was originally scheduled to be released on October 22, 2010, but was pushed back a week to October 29, 2010, in the United States and Canada; it was released a day earlier in the United Kingdom and Australia. Saw 3D opened at number one making over $22.5 million.

 

Jigsaw

Jigsaw is an upcoming American horror film directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, written by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger and starring Mandela Van Peebles, Laura Vandervoort, Brittany Allen, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett, Matt Passmore, Hannah Emily Anderson, Paul Braunstein, Josiah Black, Shaquan Lewis, Michael Boisvert and James Gómez. It is the eighth installment in the Saw franchise, picking up over a decade after the death of the eponymous Jigsaw killer during the police investigation of a new succession of murders that fit his modus operandi. Saw 3D was originally deemed the series' final installment, before Lionsgate Films commissioned the production of Jigsaw from a pitch by Stolberg and Goldfinger. Filming began on November 2016, with post production following in January.

The film is scheduled to be released on October 27, 2017 in the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

DISCUSS

[Tom Nook 37,718]

The first three were good (should've been a trilogy  but I appreciate the concept of a yearly Halloween movie ) the fourth was something else  the rest 

[Doot 2]

8 minutes ago, Gardevoir said:

The first three were good (should've been a trilogy  but I appreciate the concept of a yearly Halloween movie ) the four was something else  the rest 

LOL I agree. I've seen them, but the plot was recycled over and over for the last few. 

[homomo 22,713]

Why can't there just be a Horror Movie thread? Lol

[Doot 2]

Just now, Interstellar said:

Why can't there just be a Horror Movie thread? Lol

There is 

[Mister Gaga 21,883]

The trilogy >>>>>>>>>> after those 3, the rest was ****. They literally ruined it.

The first one is of course the best, but i'll never forget the brain surgery 

[Doot 2]

Just now, Mister Gaga said:

The trilogy >>>>>>>>>> after those 3, the rest was ****. They literally ruined it.

The first one is of course the best, but i'll never forget the brain surgery 

I can't imagine the new one will be anything groundbreaking either. 

[CyanLights 15,258]

The first three were amazing, IV was trash and V was eh, VI I loved for whatever reason, and I pretend it ended at VI

[Doot 2]

7 minutes ago, CyanLights said:

The first three were amazing, IV was trash and V was eh, VI I loved for whatever reason, and I pretend it ended at VI

The one thing Scream 4 got right:

 

Trudie: Did you pick a movie?

Sherrie: Yeah, we're gonna go scary... Saw 4.

Trudie: Ugh, I saw that in theatres; it sucks! It's not scary, it's gross... I hate all that torture **** ****.

Sherrie: How do you really feel?

Trudie: [shrugs]

Sherrie: Well, I like Jigsaw; I think he kills people very creatively.

Trudie: But you don't give a **** who dies because there's no character development, it's just body parts ripping and blood spewing, blagh!

[homomo 22,713]

1 hour ago, Doot said:

There is 

Then why are there like 10 threads on specific horror movies? 

[Doot 2]

9 hours ago, Interstellar said:

Then why are there like 10 threads on specific horror movies? 

So that people can discuss individual series instead of a generalized genre. 

[PeterPan 0]

I saw 1-3 i think but it was 2 gory for me I remember watching 2 on a date in the theater and some scenes i was squenching his hand so hard lol. After that I was like nope cant do it anymore

[PeterPan 0]

On 9/18/2017 at 11:18 PM, Mister Gaga said:

The trilogy >>>>>>>>>> after those 3, the rest was ****. They literally ruined it.

The first one is of course the best, but i'll never forget the brain surgery 

It must have been so disturbing i removed it from memory.

Tbh I dont really remember a damn thing from Saw 1-2

[DOJA CAT 1,833]

The new one should be good with modern technology 

[Doot 2]

Jigsaw’s Games Aren’t Over Yet [Exclusive]

 

 

Even though John Kramer (Tobin Bell) had his throat slit in the Darren Lynn Bousman-directed SAW III, Jigsaw refuses to remain dead.

2017 was a banner year for horror films, which resulted in more than a handful of box office success stories. One of these surprises was Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate’s Jigsaw, the eighth film in the SAW franchise that brought the infamous Jigsaw killer back for one final game. Or was it?

As we’ve previously reported here on Bloody, Jigsaw was a huge success having topped $100M worldwide at the box office. Shot on a reported budget of only $10M, it needed to hit approximately $40M to break even, making this a monstrous success.

So, it’s without surprise that I’m telling you that Twisted Pictures is planning a ninth SAW. While I don’t know much, here’s what I do know – it’s just a “conversation” at the moment, and Jigsaw directors Michael and Peter Spierig will not be returning to their director’s chairs.

While I quite enjoyed Jigsaw, I think it’s time for a reboot of sorts. I think this franchise needs a new look and direction. If they were to continue in the same universe, let’s pray they bring back Amanda (Shawnee Smith)…

What do you think?

 

http://bloody-disgusting.com/topnews/3477468/jigsaws-games-arent-yet-exclusive/