Saw III Coming to Theaters This
October!
Date: March 2, 2006
Source: Lionsgate Films
Lionsgate, the leading independent filmed entertainment studio,
and Twisted Pictures today announced plans to develop and produce Saw
III, the next film in the psychologically intense and disturbing horror
franchise, for an October 27, 2006 wide release. The film will be directed
by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II), with story by Leigh Whannell and James
Wan (Saw, Saw II) and screenplay by Whannell. The Twisted Pictures team
of Mark Burg and Oren Koules will return as producers with Whannell and
Wan set to executive produce. The announcement was made by Peter Block,
Lionsgate President of Acquisitions and Co-productions, Jason Constantine,
Lionsgate Senior VP of Acquisitions, and the Twisted Pictures team of
Mark Burg and Oren Koules. Saw II set a Lionsgate record with a three-day
opening weekend of $31.7 million last Halloween, becoming the widest release
in Lionsgate history and achieving one of the best opening weekends ever
for a horror sequel. With a domestic box office of over $87 million and
more than $148 million in worldwide theatrical box office, Saw II easily
eclipsed the $55 million domestic box office total of the original Saw.
Saw and Saw II have grossed nearly $250 million in combined worldwide
box office.
Saw II debuted as the #1 DVD in North America two weeks ago, becoming
the fastest-selling theatrical DDV release in Lionsgate history with 3.9
million units sold in its first week alone. The movie was also released
on VHS and UMD. The Saw franchise has sold nearly 10 million units to
date for Lionsgate.
"Yes, there will be more blood," said Block and Constantine.
"Saw III will involve the same creative forces responsible
for the tremendous success of Saw II. The Twisted team of Mark and Oren,
along with Darren, James and Leigh, have all agreed to be prominently
involved in Saw III. We are proud to be partnered with some of the most
disturbing creative talents on the planet, and the Saw franchise will
ensure that gore becomes every bit as much a Halloween staple as ghosts,
goblins and candy corn." Block noted that the film will be dedicated
to Twisted Pictures principal and Saw producer Gregg Hoffman, who passed
away in November 2005.
"We have been discussing story lines that extend the Saw franchise
to new limits and beyond with Lionsgate for the past several months,"
said Burg and Koules. "The most important element of any franchise
is remaining true to the roots of its success. We believe that we are
developing a script that is certain to please the Saw franchise's core
fans while adding fresh, terrifying and unimaginable new twists to the
Saw saga. Jigsaw himself would be proud."
Saw III joins an upcoming Lionsgate slate that includes Trent Cooper's
Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector (March 24), the inspirational Akeelah
And The Bee, starring Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett and Keke Palmer
(April 28), the provocative Sundance sensation Hard Candy (April), Lionsgate's
first entry in the Spanish-language feature film marketplace, La Mujer
de mi Hermano, starring telenovela sensation Barbara Mori (April) and
the horror film See No Evil, starring WWE superstar Kane (May 19).
Twisted Pictures is helmed by Mark Burg and Oren Koules. Saw, one of the
most profitable films of 2004, was their first picture under the new label
and was also distributed by Lionsgate. Twisted is currently in postproduction
on Catacombs, the first film under the previously-announced nine-picture
deal between Twisted and Lionsgate, and is in production on Silence for
Universal Pictures
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