New ‘Saw’ Movie Ensnares Mike P. Nelson to Direct

Jigsaw has found the next filmmaker to set up his twisted traps. Mike P. Nelson will direct the upcoming Saw movie, the first in years to have original director James Wan on board as a key creative voice. Lionsgate will release the film from Blumhouse Atomic Monster.

Nelson is already in the Lionsgate business as the director of the Fantastic Fest title Beware Boiúna, which arrives in theaters Oct. 2. He previously directed 2021’s Wrong Turn and the 2025 remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Lionsgate film boss Adam Fogelson is bullish on the filmmaker, stating, “He has a singular vision for this film, and we’re incredibly confident in what he’ll deliver.”

Saw began life as an ultra low-budget film from Wan and writer-star Leigh Whannell. It told the story of a twisted serial killer who placed victims in elaborate, deadly traps that would be gruesome and painful to escape from. It became an outsized hit, spawning a $1 billion franchise and launching Wan’s career as one of the top filmmakers in Hollywood. It was last in theaters with 2023’s Saw X, which grossed $112.8 million globally.

Wan and Whannell will produce the new installment with Jason Blum, with the film shooting from a script by Gregory Weidman & Geoff Tock, a duo known for Dune: Prophecy.

The new film comes after Blumhouse Atomic Monster bought out a stake in Saw owned by Twisted Pictures in 2025, returning the franchise to Wan. Lionsgate is also an owner of the franchise.

“Making the original Saw was a defining experience for me, so it was essential to find a director who would honor that world,” Wan said in a statement, adding, “Mike has a raw, distinctive filmmaking voice with an inventive approach to the genre, and I believe he’ll bring something truly unique and special to the franchise.”

Nelson added in his own statement, “Greg and Geoff and James have crafted such a wild script that brings the mystery of the original while exploring new insane bloody ideas that meld so well with the brutal moral compass of the franchise. Let the games begin!”