The “eye-popping” amount Blumhouse paid for Saw franchise

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Exciting news is circulating within the horror genre! It appears that Blumhouse Productions is said to have obtained half ownership of the Saw franchise, welcoming James Wan back into the team. An insider claims that the studio has paid an astonishing amount for the rights.

In 2004, it was James Wan who took the helm for the first Saw film, kickstarting the successful horror movie series along with co-writer Leigh Whannell. Although he hasn’t directed another installment since then, he has continued to be involved in a supervisory role as an executive producer, watching over its development through each stage.

In response to the merger between Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and Wan’s Atomic Monster in early 2024, it is now reported that Blumhouse has made a deal to purchase the rights that were previously owned by Twisted Pictures.

Effectively, Blumhouse Productions will assume control of the intellectual property (IP) for the Saw franchise from producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who have been instrumental in overseeing all ten previous films under their Twisted banner. Lionsgate will maintain its 50% ownership and will continue to serve as a collaborative partner in the production process.

Blumhouse makes “eye-popping” deal for Saw

A Hollywood insider, Jeff Schneider, reportedly received information indicating that Blum has agreed to allocate at least $90 million. Moreover, he mentioned this significant amount might not be included in any potential future earnings that Burg and Koules could potentially negotiate as part of the agreement.

It’s a lot of cash to pay upfront, but apparently, it was set to be even more. 

Last year, discussions about acquiring the rights to the Saw franchise were ongoing with Blumhouse, but those negotiations fell through earlier this year over financial disagreements. Specifically, the cost-conscious Blumhouse was unwilling to match Twisted’s demand of $100 million.

Once the agreement reaches its conclusion, it could potentially reveal the upcoming plans for Saw 11. You might recall that Saw 10 was released in September 2023, and shortly after, in December of the same year, Lionsgate announced a forthcoming eleventh movie.

The initial plan was to premiere the new film in September 2024; however, its release got pushed back to September 2025 due to some creative disputes among the producers. This conflict has been confirmed in Schneider’s recent update.

Oren Koules and Mark Burg, co-owners of Twisted Pictures, chose to part ways with the profitable horror series as their visions for its future direction had become divergent,” he penned down.

By March 2025, the film was completely scrapped, however, there’s a possibility it may escape development limbo with the progression of this latest agreement.

Schneider went on to say, “Currently, there’s no new Saw film being developed. However, once the rights agreement is finalized, it will undoubtedly become a top focus for both Blumhouse/Atomic Monster and Lionsgate – especially since they are always seeking established, dependable franchises.

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2025-06-05 12:49