The new Saw movie has found its director. The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Mike P. Nelson, who directed 2021’s Wrong Turn and the 2025 remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night, has signed on to direct the latest installment in the long-running horror franchise. James Wan, who directed the original Saw and co-created the franchise with Leigh Whannell, will produce and serve as a key creative voice on the project. The film is coming from Lionsgate and Blumhouse Atomic Monster.
This is a major development for the Saw franchise, which has been looking for a way forward since the previously announced Saw XI was scrapped. The new movie will be based on a script by Gregory Weidman and Geoff Tock, writers whose credits include Dune: Prophecy. Wan and Whannell will produce alongside Blumhouse founder Jason Blum.
Nelson is already working with Lionsgate, as the studio is set to release his upcoming film Beware Boiúna in theaters on October 2. Lionsgate film boss Adam Fogelson expressed confidence in the filmmaker, saying:
“He has a singular vision for this film, and we’re incredibly confident in what he’ll deliver.”
This will be the first Saw movie in years to have Wan back in a major creative role. Wan directed the original 2004 Saw, which he made with writer and star Whannell, and he remained involved with the franchise through Saw III. He has largely been removed from the series since then, although he has given his blessing to the subsequent films. Wan previously said that returning to Saw was something he was approaching with the intention of honoring what made the original movie work while taking the franchise in a new direction:
“Making the original Saw was a defining experience for me, so it was essential to find a director who would honor that world. Mike has a raw, distinctive filmmaking voice with an inventive approach to the genre, and I believe he’ll bring something truly unique and special to the franchise.”
Nelson is clearly excited about getting the chance to play in the Saw sandbox, particularly with Wan involved. He said:
“Greg and Geoff and James have crafted such a wild script that brings the mystery of the original while exploring new insane bloody ideas that meld so well with the brutal moral compass of the franchise. Let the games begin!”
The new film follows Saw X, which returned the series to the story of John Kramer and earned $112.8 million worldwide in 2023. That movie was directed by Kevin Greutert, who had also been attached to return for the abandoned Saw XI.
Blumhouse’s involvement dates back to 2025, when the company acquired the portion of the Saw franchise rights previously held by Twisted Pictures. Lionsgate remains involved with the franchise, while the deal also brought Saw closer to Wan through his Atomic Monster production company.
There is no word yet on a release date or casting for the new Saw movie. But with Mike P. Nelson behind the camera and James Wan back in the creative fold, the franchise is officially moving forward again.
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