James Wan reveals what it’d take to get him to direct a new 'Saw' sequel, shares thoughts on Chris Rock’s spin-off 'Spiral' (exclusive)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan has revealed whether he’d ever consider returning to the Saw universe, the grisly horror franchise he directed, co-created and co-wrote with The Invisible Man filmmaker Leigh Whannell back in 2004.

Speaking exclusively to Yahoo Movies UK, Wan admitted that he and Whannell have indeed discussed a potential return to the indie horror movie that went on to spawn seven direct sequels and 2020’s stand-alone spin-off starring Chris Rock.

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Having directed part one, Wan has yet to return to the series in a directorial capacity. That said, the filmmaker behind The Conjuring series was quick to admit that his growing list of in-development projects might make it tricky for him to commit to a return to this booby-trap-filled world.

“Leigh and I have always joked amongst ourselves, like ‘Imagine if we one day returned to Saw and did a legacy sequel?” he told us. “That could be cool; to make it how we initially wanted to make it.”

Wan’s comments come as part of a larger chat celebrating Saw’s 18th anniversary this Halloween. During the interview, the Fast & Furious 7 filmmaker went into gory detail about the flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants struggle of creating his first feature film, a story that focused on two men trapped inside a toilet while the sadistic Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell) tests their integrity and thresholds for pain.

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“Obviously, I would only do it if Whannell wants to come back as well,” he reasoned. “I’ve got so many other stories that I want to tell and with all the sequels touching upon a lot of elements already, it would take a long time for Leigh and I to try and come up with a story that we felt like none of the sequels have done yet that we haven’t seen before. I would never say never,” suggested Wan, “but I’ve got so many other projects that I’m excited about that I’d love to work on.”

A huge hit upon its initial release, Wan and Whannell’s big-screen debut has since become one of the biggest horror franchises going and a staple slice of Halloween viewing. In fact, it was just this week that we received news that original Jigsaw star Bell will return to the franchise for a new instalment.

The as-yet-untitled 10th Saw outing is set for release in October 2023 and it is currently unclear whether it will take 2020’s reboot Spiral into consideration.

Speaking of which, Wan also shared his thoughts on Rock’s 2021 take on the series, in which he co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson to tell a new nail-biting tale of twisted, trap-based justice.

“I think it’s cool. I think it’s great to try and inject it with new blood, that’s always a good thing,” said Wan. “The Saw franchise is ultimately no longer really my baby so to speak, so I leave it up to the producers and Lionsgate,” he added, “but I think it’s good that they’re still trying to find new ways to inject it with fresh blood.”

Wan’s next movie, the long-delayed DC superhero sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently due for release on 25 December, 2023.