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James Wan Plans Return-to-Roots Overhaul for 'Saw XI'

Co-creator Leigh Whannell joins him to refocus the series on psychological horror over gore.

Overview

  • In a Sundance interview with Letterboxd, James Wan said he wants to “make it scary again,” steering Saw XI toward psychologically scarring suspense rather than bloodshed.
  • Wan described this as his most hands-on involvement since the 2004 original, collaborating directly with co-creator Leigh Whannell.
  • Blumhouse now controls future Saw installments after a 2025 rights deal and Atomic Monster’s merger, returning the franchise to Wan and Whannell’s orbit.
  • A Lionsgate-developed version of Saw 11 was scrapped prior to the rights shift to Blumhouse.
  • Saw XI is in early development with no director, cast, story details, or release date announced.