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Sunday, November 15
At a recent media conference, Lionsgate vice-chairman Michael Burns said that Saw VI was "buzz-sawed" by Paranormal Activity at the box office.
Opening the same weekend, Paranormal easily beat Saw VI and continued to perform strongly, quickly becoming the most profitable movie ever made. Saw movies are never made with a high budget, so the poor performance has not kept Lionsgate from making money, which is all Burns said is needed to keep making more.
As long as we make money on it we'll keep doing this.
Saw VII is already in the works with Saw VIII in the planning stages, though a Saw producer says VIII may be the last one.
Posted 11/15/2009 by Ryan
Related: Saw VI | Saw VIII | Saw VII | Paranormal Activity
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Friday, November 13
Saw VI didn't exactly live up to box office expectations, but that hasn't stopped Lionsgate from grabbing October 22, 2010 for Saw VII. Saw VII is already in pre-production, with David Hackl returning from Saw V to direct a script from Saw IV, V, and VI screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton.
Saw VII will follow the twisted adventures of Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), with Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) returning in flashbacks. Bell already has an idea of what Jigsaw in 3-D will be like.
Posted 11/13/2009 by Ryan
Related: Saw VII
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Monday, November 9
Pre-production on Saw VII has already begun ... so despite the poor box office for Saw VI, the Saw series is far from over. Saw VII will look to revitalize the franchise, at least financially, with the series stepping into 3-D territory for the first time. Tobin Bell spoke to Fearnet about what it will be like to bring Jigsaw to the third dimension.
It will be an interesting experience. I'll be doing the same thing. Possibly doing it differently, like saying, "Reach out this way!" But I am going to be doing exactly what I always do. I am moreconcerned with the quality of the drama than I am in the special effects, I'll leave that to someone else. That's not my job. I'll bewatching with interest and listening for good counsel from the 3-D techs, who I'm sure will be lingering around me. And I'll be saying, get away from me!
Saw VII is scheduled to open in October of next year. David Hackl will direct from a script by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton.
Posted 11/9/2009 by Ryan
Related: Saw VI | Tobin Bell | Saw VII
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Sunday, October 25
Saw III, IV, and V director David Hackl is in pre-production for Saw VII, but right now Saw VIII is resting in the planning stage with no director. Tobin Bell, Jigsaw himself, says that he may take the director's chair if it is offered.
They asked me about that, I don't know quite how sincerely. I told them it was way too much work. Directors are there forever. Actors, they come in, they do their scene, but directors.... Then when they get a break, that's the time for everybody to descend on them and say, "Oh, I'm glad you're free for a moment because we've got a major problem in costume." I appreciate my down time. I'm being a little tongue in cheek about that. The truth is that I really do want to direct one of these sometime. I'm just waiting for them to come to me again. I have a better answer this time. Like yes.
If they don't approach Bell to direct Saw VIII, he may not get another chance, since producer Mark Burg says Saw VIII may be the last Saw sequel.
Posted 10/25/2009 by Ryan
Related: Tobin Bell | Saw VIII | Saw VII | David Hackl
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Friday, October 16
The release of Saw VI is just around the corner, but it's never too early to talk about the future. Producer Mark Burg and co-screenwriter Marcus Dunstan spoke with Collider and revealed what fans can look forward to in Saw VII and VIII. Burg claims that VIII may be the end for the series.
We're definitely making Saw VII. We're starting in January, and it's going to be in 3-D. The storyline that we started in Saw V and carry through Saw VI, ends at Saw VIII. Where it goes beyond that, I couldn't tell you. In my mind and in [producer] Oren [Koule]'s mind, we have the story threaded through Saw VIII. After that, I can't tell you that the franchise will continue.
Dunstan explained that knowing what that end will be is a positive thing for himself and co-screenwriter Patrick Melton.
That helps when writing, though. Even if it's a small detail, you know that this element has to happen in Saw VII and this has to happen in Saw VIII, so that we know we're getting up to that point. But, that isn't to say that there isn't definitely a clear resolution at the end of each story because there is, especially with Saw VI. Once you see Saw VI, you'll understand how it's supposed to end, and then, oops, something else happens and that will lead somewhere.
Burg calls that "something" a "twist."
Saw VI has a great twist. You're going to look at the film and be like, "F**k, they got me again! How did I not see this coming?"
Saw VII will be the first Saw in 3-D, and Burg says they are building the sets in a way that will take advantage of the 3-D technology.
We're going to design traps to come at you. The pendulum trap that opened the last Saw movie would have been great in 3-D.
We're planning a lot of the movie to be through the victim's eyes, seeing stuff as it's coming towards them, in their point-of-view. But, I think the audience wants a couple My Bloody Valentine-type moments, where the gun comes into the audience.
For now, Saw fans will have to enjoy the 2-D world of Saw VI when it opens October 23. Dunstan says the movie will give "a real clear understanding of what John Kramer's [Tobin Bell] overall plan was and, in turn, what Hoffman's [Costas Mandylor] plan was" by the end.
Posted 10/16/2009 by Ryan
Related: Mark Burg | Marcus Dunstan | Saw VI | Saw VIII | Saw VII
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Monday, October 12
When a horror movie finds success at the box office, it's almost guaranteed to get a sequel. And that sequel often becomes more sequels, which have an unfortunate tendency for becoming increasingly stale. By the time a horror franchise reaches a sixth installment, it's usually operating in zombie mode (meaning, crying out for a beheading).
In less than two weeks, Saw VI heads to theaters — with no plans of wrapping up the series. Saw VII is already in pre-production and plans are in place for Saw VIII. If the Saw franchise has any chance of continuing, it had better learn from the mistakes of other "part six" horror sequels.
Check out 666: Sequels Gone Wrong, where we offer six critical lessons Saw VI can learn from other long-running horror franchises.
Posted 10/12/2009 by reelz
Related: Friday the 13th | Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Hellraiser: Hellseeker | Saw | Halloween 6 | Curse of the Puppet Master: The Human Experiment | Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood | Saw VI | Saw VIII | Saw VII
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Tuesday, October 6
Saw VI's opening day is practically around the corner, yet pre-production on Saw VII has already begun. Co-screenwriter Marcus Dunstan gave ShockTillYouDrop an update on how the script is progressing.
The second draft has been turned in for Saw VII 3D. Well, the nice thing about what [Saw VI director] Kevin [Greutert] did with Saw VI was he provided some closure that fans have been requesting, but it also swiftly opened new opportunities for storytelling. Just the simple mechanism of working with Kevin and seeing how to raise the bar significantly was nice. VII is all the more exciting because now they've added a new layer of complexity by adding 3D.
It's supposed to be delivered to you by next Halloween, so we've had to be on the ball a hell of a lot earlier in order to provide that. We're also competing with every other genre project out there, including the low budget ones or multi-million dollar ones, and this one still has to hit like a lightening bolt.
Dunstan claims that 3-D will play a role in the script.
That was the biggest question – why would you dare tell a movie called Saw in 3-D? Well, the first trap in Saw VII answers that. It should awaken you like the first movie did.
Saw fans will have to wait until Halloween 2010 to see what Dunstan means, but can content themselves for now with the traps of Saw VI, which Dunstan describes as having a very contemporary message behind them.
Yeah, but without giving too much away – Saw VI took advantage of a very timely issue, which none of the other films have. I mean, they have in that there's a device or something that seems cool, but no, there's something that makes this movie the only one you can tell this year, right now with this much heat on it. It's a topic that has the elderly passionately fighting. That's all we're saying.
Whatever the trap entails, it sure has returning Saw regular Shawnee Smith looking scared.
Next Showing: Saw VI opens October 23
Posted 10/6/2009 by Ryan
Related: Marcus Dunstan | Shawnee Smith | Saw VI | Saw VII | Kevin Greutert
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Saturday, September 19
With Saw VI due to open in theaters October 23, director David Hackl has announced on his Facebook page that pre-production on Saw VII began this week.
SAW VII 3D pre production begins TODAY!! Eat, breath, sleep, traps traps traps,traps.....3 f____in' D. CRAZY! The story is always the most important thing in my opinion. This time I want it to be a game for everyone. I want to create the effect of feeling like you are right in a trap.
Looks like Saw is following suite with many other franchises and making the sequel in 3-D. Hackl says that's why pre-production has started so early.
Yeah the prep for 3-D is definitely longer as is the post period.
Screenwriters of the previous three Saw movies, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have already been retained for Saw VII. While Melton says Saw VI should feel resolved, clearly there's more Saw stories left to tell. Saw VIII is also in the planning stages.
Posted 9/19/2009 by Ryan
Related: Marcus Dunstan | Saw VI | Patrick Melton | Saw VII | David Hackl
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Tuesday, July 28
Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, the screenwriters for Saw IV, Saw V, and the upcoming Saw VI, spoke to ShockTilYouDrop about the project at San Diego Comic-Con and, despite the fact that a sequel has already been announced, Melton claims Saw VI will feel resolved:
Part four was too confusing, part five wasn't confusing enough and this one hits the mark right in the middle. We have a really good 'A' story which makes all of the Tobin Bell flashbacks feel organic and not forced. There's good pacing and finally there's a resolution. Finally. Six could be done and that's it, there could be no more. In terms of the John Kramer storyline, we put a nice bow on it. It's fulfilling for people, I think.
Melton and Dunstan will be back to write Saw VII with David Hackl, who helmed Saw V, returning to direct. While details on Saw VII are minimal at this point, Dunstan says that VI will tackle some contemporary issues:
It's also timely. There are a couple of elements to the story that take advantage of our current climate.
If the latest "Wheel of Death" clip is evidence, Dunstan and Melton have certainly gone political. WARNING: This clip is not appropriate for work, so if you're not at home enjoy this new teaser trailer instead:
Next Showing: Saw VI opens October 23
Posted 7/28/2009 by Ryan
Related: Marcus Dunstan | Saw IV | Saw VI | Tobin Bell | Saw V | Patrick Melton | Saw VII
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Wednesday, July 22
A new "motion" poster has arrived online for the latest sequel in Liongate's Saw franchise, just in time for the news of Saw VII's writing team.
Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton — the screenwriters behind not only the upcoming Saw VI, but Saw IV and V as well — will return to write Saw VII. The franchise is supposedly set to continue for a total of nine movies, not eight as Tobin Bell speculated.
Dunstan could direct the next Saw, after helming the upcoming horror thriller The Collector, which he and Melton wrote.
Saw VI creeps into theaters on October 23. It was directed by Kevin Gruetert, who was previously an editor on the series.
Posted 7/22/2009 by Ryan
Related: Marcus Dunstan | Saw IV | Saw VI | Tobin Bell | Saw V | Patrick Melton | Saw VII | The Collector | Kevin Greutert