Saw XI Update: Horror Franchise Finds New Home, James Wan To Help Guide Its Future

After Saw XI was unceremoniously removed from Lionsgate’s 2025 release date calendar, the rights to the horror franchise have found a new home.

Saw XI was originally scheduled to arrive in United States theaters on September 26, 2025. Earlier this year, however, reports began to emerge about fights between the film’s producers and Lionsgate. The film was taken off the 2025 release calendar this past March, with The Strangers: Chapter 2 taking its place.

What is the Saw XI update?

Per Variety, the rights to Saw have now been acquired by Blumhouse. This includes all future Saw movies, shows, and “other properties.”

“The company paid an undisclosed amount for the part of the franchise currently owned by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg,” Variety’s article notes. “In statements, Koules said it felt like ‘the right time to pass the baton,’ while Burg said he wanted to ‘move on and tell new stories.’”

Whether this means that Blumhouse will continue developing Saw XI in its current form (the movie had not started filming yet before losing its release date), start from scratch, or reboot the series entirely is not yet clear.

Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum did say, however, that James Wan and Leigh Whannell will both be brought “back in the fold” as they help determine Saw’s future. The 2004 Saw movie was directed by Wan, while Whannell wrote the scripts for the first three films.

“Saw holds a special place in my heart,” Wan said in a statement. “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.”

Source: Comingsoon.net