Blumhouse Buys Twisted Pictures’ Stake In Saw Franchise

Billy the Puppet lives again, as Blumhouse has bought Twisted Pictures’ share in the Saw franchise. As reported earlier this month, the Jason Blum-ran studio was in negotiations to acquire their stake in franchise from Twisted. THR reports that Blumhouse has finalized the deal, which was led by CAA Evolution.

Lionsgate, who has a 50% stake in the franchise, will continued to distribute the franchise that last saw life with 2023’s franchise-reinvigorating Saw X.

This means that the franchise is back under the purview of James Wan, whose Atomic Monster production company merged with Blumhouse in 2024. Wan directed the first film, which released in 2004.

The franchise was stalled out this year after co-writer Patrick Melton revealed in March that the greenlit Saw XI had made “zero progress” since May 2024 over what he referred to as “inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate.”

Wan said in a statement, “Saw holds a special place in my heart — it’s where Leigh and I began our Hollywood journey. Coming back to this world with a fresh perspective is both thrilling and deeply personal. For me, this will mark a significant creative return to the Saw franchise for the first time since the early days, and I’m very much looking forward to embracing the original spirit whilst pushing the legacy forward in bold, unexpected ways.”

Jason Blum added, “The Saw franchise has defined a generation of horror, and its cultural impact continues to grow, making this a strategic investment in one of the most recognizable and successful genre properties of the last two decades. But what really excites me about bringing Saw to Blumhouse is having James and Leigh back in the fold and to see the future of the franchise come to life with their guidance.”