The Original ‘Saw’ Duo of James Wan and Leigh Whannell Updates Fans on the Franchise’s Return

James Wan and Leigh Whannell are returning to creatively guide the SAW franchise with Blumhouse’s Atomic Monster

The Saw franchise is now back in the hands of Blumhouse, bringing back the franchise’s original creators, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, for its eleventh installment.

The original Saw story centered on John Kramer (Jigsaw) played by actor Tobin Bell Mississippi Burning, The Firm, a terminally ill engineer who subjects victims who are immoral or ungrateful into elaborate, gruesome games or traps forcing them to sacrifice body parts in order for others to survive. While Kramer’s character died in later sequels, the series managed to continue through flashbacks and apprentices keeping his main philosophy alive by forming a complex, non-linear, and increasingly violent puzzle.

The duo of Wan and Whannell recently announced their return while speaking before a legacy screening of the original Saw at the Sundance Film Festival in January, marking the first time they have been directly involved in a Saw project in a major creative capacity since the early days of the franchise.

“All I can say at this point is… we’re gonna do one. We are going to make one. I don’t want to say too much. It’s very early still. Needless to say, the franchise was has actually come back to Leigh and me. So we’re very excited… yeah, that means a lot. Wan said.

The contemporary horror masters have promised to steer the series back to its roots, transitioning back to the immediate survival of victims rather than a deep dive into the philosophy, apprentices, and backstory of killer Kramer.

“We want to hark back to the spirit of the original film. We want to be mindful and respectful of what fans have learned about the soapy nature of the entire franchise. We know there’s a lot of love for the world, but we definitely want to return to the spirit of the first film. We want to make another scary Saw movie. That’s the goal.” He also added,

While unconfirmed rumors suggested the filmmaker himself would return to direct the next film, Wan has now set the record straight and confirmed that he and Whannell will be heavily involved in the creative development, but not necessarily as director and writers in the direct, hands-on way they did in the 2004 original.

Saw XI has followed a series of uncertainties where previous versions were reportedly canceled due to producer conflicts, so this news that the franchise is finally back on track with the original duo involved in some capacity is something of a welcome sight.

Although the film has a ways to go as far as production-wise, Wan did mention that their specific goal will be to create a film that talks to the new generation of moviegoers and feels fresh and unlike anything seen in previous installments.

“This next movie would be the eleventh installment, and there have been lots of films in this world. We need to do something different in order to reach out to a new generation that didn’t grow up with it”
He said during an interview with Letterboxd

For now, we know precious little about Blumhouse’s Saw plans. So we will just have to play the wait-and-see game with what Wan and Whannell’s new approach and scares will be. But at least one thing is for sure: Jigsaw will be back…
“I want to play a game,” “Live or die, make your choice.”

What do you think of the producers’ new approach to this Saw movie? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.