After a bit of a break, we are back, and what better way to get back to First Picture House on the Left than going back to our first article, where we talked about the end of Saw. Well, Blumhouse wasn’t going to let one of the most iconic horror franchises go out like that, and recently bought out 50% of the rights to the franchise, taking back IP ownership from Twisted’s Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who had been producers of every installment of Saw. The other 50% ownership remains with Lionsgate, but the highlight is that James Wan, co-creator and director of the original, has now returned to the fold.
His production company, Atomic Monster, recently merged with Blumhouse in January 2024. The deal brings Wan back creatively to the beautiful beast he helped create with Leigh Whannel back in 2004. As expected with the news breaking so recently, there hasn’t been any traction on Saw XI, but I don’t think it will be long before we hear the announcement that a script is being developed and production is being set in motion. The original plan for Saw XI was to be released by the end of September 2025, but disputes between Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate ended any chance of that.
I have made it known that I am not a Blumhouse fan. I don’t like how formulaic their movies are, nor how often they resort to cheap jump scares or tired storylines of trauma and grief without adding any nuance or insight to the idea. Their recent stretch of movies has been anywhere from pretty decent (like Drop, The Black Phone, or The Passenger) to borderline garbage (AfrAId, Imaginary, and Night Swim). With Tobin Bell’s age, you have to wonder what direction the franchise will go, as the Chris Rock-led Spiral came out to mixed reviews and the lowest box office of the franchise without Bell in the mix. I hope that with James Wan back in the fold, they can find a good story that doesn’t lean too heavily into tired tropes but still can bring back the campy drama the franchise has been known for, all while delivering great traps and bloody kills.
I've always been a movie fan, but I first got big into cinema watching Whiplash when I was younger. That movie led to a greater appreciation of films and got me to dive into the medium. My favorite genre is horror movies, but I’ll always have a secret soft spot for rom coms and musicals. When I'm not podcasting or watching movies, I love working out and going hiking, and I currently work in business analytics with the degree I got from Western New England University.
MY FAVORITE MOVIES: Good Will Hunting, Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse, Whiplash, Moneyball, Top Gun: Maverick