Saw (film series)

Infobox Film
name = Saw" film series


caption = "Saw" logo
director = James Wan
Darren Lynn Bousman
David Hackl
Kevin Greutert
producer = Mark Burg
Daniel Heffner
Gregg Hoffman
Oren Koules
James Wan
Leigh Whannell
writer = Darren Lynn Bousman
Marcus Dunstan
Thomas Fenton
Patrick Melton
James Wan
Leigh Whannell

starring = Tobin Bell
Shawnee Smith
Leigh Whannell
Cary Elwes
Donnie Wahlberg
Dina Meyer
Lyriq Bent
Bahar Soomekh
Angus MacFadyen
Costas Mandylor
Scott Patterson
Michael Emerson
cinematography = David Armstrong
music = Charlie Clouser
editing = Kevin Greutert
distributor = Lions Gate
released = 2004 — present
runtime = 411 min. (total)
country = USA
UK
language = English
budget = $27.2 million (combined total of I-IV)
gross = Domestic (as of June 4, 2008)
$285,763,829
Worldwide
$548,874,868
website =
imdb_id =The "Saw" series is a horror film franchise created by director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell.

Premise

The series revolves around the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell), a dying, later dead, man who kidnaps a series of victims and places them in deadly, elaborate traps designed to test them and give them an opportunity to repent their former lifestyles, in which Jigsaw feels that they took their lives for granted. Each concludes with a twist that wraps things up, but also creates more questions to be answered in the following film.

Media

There have been four "Saw" movies to date, with the latest being released on October 26, 2007. [http://www.officialsaw.com/subpage.php?PG=news Saw 4 News.] The Official SAW Website and Fan Club. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.] Each film has been rated R by the MPAA, though each was originally rated NC-17 except for Saw V, which got an instant R. Each release made to date was released in theaters in consecutive years on the Friday before Halloween and released in an uncut version on DVD the following October.

Films

* "Saw", released on October 29, 2004.
* "Saw II", the first sequel, released on October 28, 2005.
* "Saw III", the second sequel, released on October 27, 2006.
* "Saw IV", the third sequel, released on October 26, 2007.
* "Saw V", the fourth sequel began filming on March 17, 2008, [http://www.officialsaw.com/ OfficialSaw.com] .] ] with a release date of October 24, 2008. [http://lionsgatepublicity.com/index_flash.html Lionsgate Publicity lists Saw V for October 24, 2008] . Retrieved December 6, 2007.]
* has been confirmed to follow "Saw V".

Video game

Brash Entertainment LLC has licensed the film property from Lions Gate Entertainment to develop a video game with James Wan and Leigh Whannell [http://www.360-hq.com/article-2382-thread-1-0.html James and Leigh to consult on "Saw" videogame] ] based on the "Saw" series. [cite news | first=Nick | last=Wingfield | url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118092768266523504-lqfrcBq0HGHviWqd_LyeyBmgIA4_20070704.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top | title=A Start Up's Risky Niche: Movie-Based Videogames | date=2007-06-04 | author=Nick Wingfield | publisher=The Wall Street Journal | accessdate= ] The game was officially announced on January 30, 2008 and is set for release in October 2009 for all platforms. [cite web|date=2008-01-30|url= http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/848/848533p1.html|title=Saw announced|accessdate=2008-01-30]

Other media

* "Saw", a 2003 short film which served as a promotional tool in pitching the film's potential to Lions Gate, included on the DVD release of "Saw".
* "", a comic book prequel to the original film released to promote "Saw II". Its continuity was later contradicted by events in "Saw IV".

Future development

Tobin Bell has stated that he was signed on for a total of five sequels, [cite news | title =Lionsgate Thinks Ahead... Preps 'Saw 4' | publisher =Bloody Disgusting | date =2006-10-18 | url =http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/7464 | accessdate=] and producer Oren Koules confirmed on June 22, 2007 that both "Saw V" and "VI" were being written at the time. The authors of the scripts include Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, as well as Thomas Fenton. The name Brennan Nold was mentioned by Lions Gate founder Jon Feltheimer in an interview, however he ended up having no involvement in the film. [cite news | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/798/798800p1.html | title=Getting Jiggy with Saw IV | date=2007-06-22 | author=Scott Collura & Eric Moro | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2007-06-29 ] [cite news | first=Jenelle | last=Riley | url=http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=17413 | title=Interview with the Makers of Saw | date=2007-06-10 | author=Jenelle Riley | publisher=UGO | accessdate=2007-06-29 ] "Saw V" started filming on March 17, 2008, while it started post-production on April 28, 2008.. Costas Mandylor has signed up for the next installment in the horror franchise along with main character, Jigsaw, portrayed by Tobin Bell. [http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=889 Actor Signs for more Saws] ] "Saw VI" will be directed by Kevin Greutert, the editor on all the "Saw" films to date. [JoBlo.com: [http://www.joblo.com/saw-vi-news Saw VI news] ]

Prominent characters

Records

* With each year bringing a new "Saw", "Saw IV" marked Hollywood record for the most films to be released consecutively - one per year - in a movie franchise. [ [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/saw_4/news/1649688/ One year release patterns set to break records] ] "Saw V", with a release date of October 24, 2008, will extend that run to five years.
* "Saw III" gave Lions Gate its highest-grossing weekend in history, outdoing the previous record set by "Saw II" of $31.7 million to a bettering $33.6 million. [ [http://www.thewebnewsroom.com/?itemid=826 "Saw III" breaks previous "Saw II" record for Lions Gate] ]
* Both "Saw II" and "III" broke records when they were released in the holiday period of Halloween. Both movies managed to top the "Halloween Weekend Openers" "Saw II" premiered with $31.7 mil in 2005, and "Saw III", which bowed to a slightly higher $33.6 mil in 2006. "Saw IV" premiered at $32.1 million, making it number one at the box office on Halloween weekend 2007. [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/halloween.htm Halloween Openers - "Saw II" and "III" highest gross] [cite news | first=Joshua | last=Rich | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20155409,00.html | title='Saw' Conquers | date=2007-10-28 | author=Joshua Rich | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | accessdate= ]
* All the movies in the "Saw" series have managed to gross over $50 million, putting them in the top 10 all-time highest total gross for Lions Gate. [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=lions_gate.htm All "Saw" films reach Lions Gate top 5]
* On IGN's list of the top twenty-five movie franchises of all time, the "Saw" series ranks as number twenty-five. [ [http://movies.ign.com/articles/746/746875p1.html IGN: Top 25 Movie Franchises of All Time: #25 ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.sawmovie.com/ Official "Saw" site]
* [http://www.saw2.com/ Official "II" site]
* [http://www.saw3.com/ Official "III" site]
* [http://www.saw4.com Official "IV" site]
* [http://www.saw5.com Official "V" site]
* [http://www.officialsaw.com/ Official SAW website/fan club]
* [http://www.collectsaw.com/ Official SAW Props, Wardrobe and Autograph Auction]