It’s time to put the brakes on rumors. Despite some swirling late this week about filmmaker James Wan (“Insidious”) returning to the “Saw” franchise—thanks to a viral video (see below)—apparently those comments have been overstated.
Despite the rumors and sudden rejoicing about Wan’s return, horror site Dread Central—very knowledgeable about such things—posted an editor’s update clarifying that Wan is not returning to direct the next film. What’s on the table instead is a more hands-on producing role alongside Leigh Whannell, with the property moving forward with Blumhouse and Wan’s Atomic Monster in the mix, and the creators described as being “more intimately involved” for the first time since “Saw II.”
READ MORE: ‘Creature From The Black Lagoon’: James Wan Eyed To Direct New Take On Horror Classic
The confusion stemmed from Park City, at a recent Sundance Film Festival reunion screening for the original film, which premiered at the festival back in the day. “All I can say is… we’re gonna do one,” Wan told the audience to huge cheers. “We are gonna make one… “
He also sketched the tonal mandate in plain language: “We want to hark back to the spirit of the original film… We want to make another scary ‘Saw’ movie.” Obviously, that was enough for audiences to assume Wan was coming back to direct himself, but it sounds more like a producer or godfather role.
A Park City interview with Bloody Disgusting sharpened what that “spirit” means, distancing the next film from a detour like “Spiral: From the Book of Saw.” Wan put it plainly: “It’s definitely not ‘Spiral,’ it’s not ‘Spiral,’” before drawing a hard circle around the series’ core philosophy: “we don’t think you can make a ‘Saw’ movie without Jigsaw.”
The business reset behind all this is real. In June 2025, Blumhouse acquired a 50% stake in the franchise, buying the rights held by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg. Lionsgate retains the other 50% and keeps domestic distribution for new films; Content Partners also took a stake in the existing library, while Blumhouse will lead international distribution for future installments.
That ownership shuffle lands after a decade of “Saw” searching for a new shape without abandoning the machine. The series tried to reboot the brand with “Jigsaw,” then angled outward again with “Spiral: From the Book of Saw,” before swinging back toward the core mythology with 2023’s “Saw X,” which the Los Angeles Times notes grossed $112.2 million worldwide.
But the next step never locked in. “Saw XI” was penciled in for September 2024, then delayed to September 26, 2025, and by March 2025, The Hollywood Reporter reported “zero progress” amid behind-the-scenes “inter-squabbling.”
In that context, Wan’s renewed involvement gives fans renewed hope. The early “Saw” films weren’t scary because they were louder—they were terrifying because they were tighter, meaner, and psychologically pointed. Wan may not be directing, but a more hands-on producer role suggests the next chapter is trying to remember why the first one cut so deep.
James Wan Confirms himself and Leigh Whannell are making the next Saw movie 🎥
— SawUpdates (@saw_update) January 30, 2026
(Via – @livelaughrey) pic.twitter.com/Zz8TDQzige
