Lionsgate Reportedly Having "Conversations" About New 'Saw' Sequel

After a seven-year absence, the Saw franchise returned to theaters this past Halloween with Jigsaw, which failed to leave a major impact on most audiences. The film failed to cross the $40-million mark at the domestic box office, yet went on to earn more than $100 million worldwide. These numbers are apparently strong enough for talks to begin at Lionsgate about a follow-up film.

Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting revealed, "While I don't know much, here's what I do know – it's just a 'conversation' at the moment, and Jigsaw directors Michael and Peter Spierig will not be returning to their director's chairs."

The nature of these conversations could end up being all that happens with the notion, as Jigsaw had the second-lowest box office totals of any installment in the series. Critically, the film didn't fare much worse than other installments, with review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes calculating that 34% of reviews gave it a positive rating. The site also claims that 92% of audiences gave the film a favorable rating.

The original 2004 horror film took the world by storm, creating multiple gruesome scenarios that forced audiences to question how much pain they'd inflict on themselves in order to survive a series of situations. With a budget barely over $1 million, the film went on to earn over $100 million worldwide, proving that a compelling idea was the most important element of a horror film, regardless of big stars or massive sets.

The film kickstarted director James Wan's career, who went on to helm films like Insidious, The Conjuring and Furious 7. His next film, Aquaman, will deviate from the horror world but is sure to utilize Wan's vast wealth of skills.

The small budgets and clever ideas allowed for quick turnarounds for future installments, with the original film earning a sequel a year for six consecutive years. The sequels were released the weekend before Halloween, ensuring that audiences could check out a horror film in theaters to get ready for the haunted holiday.

Following the seventh Saw film, the Paranormal Activity franchise took over the release strategy, making Saw a distant memory. When both series went into a hiatus, audiences were primed to see the Saw series return, with Lionsgate seemingly seeing promise in following Jigsaw with another sequel.

Jigsaw lands on Blu-ray and DVD on January 23.

[H/T Bloody Disgusting]