Blumhouse acquires 50% stake in 'Saw' franchise

Horror accumulation institution Blumhouse has acquired a 50% involvement successful the long-running “Saw” franchise, buying the rights owned by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg, the steadfast said Wednesday.

Santa Monica-based Lionsgate volition proceed to ain 50% of the franchise, clasp each home organisation rights for caller diagnostic films and inactive administer worldwide for the room films. Los Angeles-based concern steadfast Content Partners has besides acquired a involvement successful the room arsenic portion of the transaction, alongside Burg’s retained share, Blumhouse said.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Blumhouse volition instrumentality the pb connected planetary organisation for caller diagnostic films and volition sermon planetary merchandise strategies with Lionsgate connected a film-by-film basis.

Blumhouse Chief Executive Jason Blum described the woody successful a connection arsenic “a strategical concern successful 1 of the astir recognizable and palmy genre properties of the past 2 decades.” The 10-film franchise began successful 2004 and has grossed much than a cardinal dollars successful worldwide container bureau revenue.

“The Saw franchise has defined a procreation of horror, and its taste interaction continues to grow,” helium said.

With this deal, the franchise returns to filmmaker James Wan, who directed the archetypal “Saw” film. Wan’s accumulation company, Atomic Monster, merged with Blumhouse past year.

“Over the people of 10 chilling and thrilling ‘Saw’ films, Oren and Mark person been outstanding partners, producers and stewards of this billion-dollar franchise,” Adam Fogelson, seat of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said successful a statement. “As they walk the baton to James — whose absorption started it each — and to Jason and the squad astatine Blumhouse, Billy couldn’t beryllium successful much talented oregon twisted hands. Game on.”

The woody was the brainchild of Lionsgate Chief Executive Jon Feltheimer and Blum, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance not authorized to comment.

The archetypal “Saw” from 2004 was portion of a question of peculiarly gruesome fearfulness movies that came to beryllium derisively described arsenic “torture porn.” Other examples included Eli Roth’s “Hostel.”

Horror franchise revivals person proved to beryllium lucrative endeavors arsenic of late, with hits including New Line’s “Final Destination Bloodlines.” The fearfulness genre has been 1 of the astir reliable astatine drafting fans to theaters successful caller years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The astir caller “Saw” film, 2023’s “Saw X,” grossed $53.6 cardinal domestically and $58.6 cardinal internationally for a planetary haul of $112.2 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

“With the occurrence of the tenth film, this felt similar the close clip to walk the baton,” Koules said successful a statement. “I’m incredibly arrogant of what we’ve built with Lionsgate implicit the past 20 years and profoundly grateful to the fans who’ve been with america since the beginning.”

Burg cited the caller decease of Lionsgate movie enforcement and enforcement shaper Jason Constantine arsenic portion of his determination to determination on, saying successful a connection that it was clip to “tell caller stories.”