
Lionsgate must be very happy with Beware Boiúna because it's been announced that Mike P. Nelson will be directing the next Saw movie. Partnering with Blumhouse Atomic Monster, this film will see the return of Saw "under the eye" of James Wan:
"As the Saw franchise returns to its roots under the eye of producer James Wan—who made his breakthrough as a director with the franchise’s first film—Lionsgate and Blumhouse Atomic Monster announced today that Mike P. Nelson, director of Lionsgate’s forthcoming Beware Boiúna, in theaters October 2, will helm the highly anticipated next film in the billion-dollar franchise. The announcement was made by Wan and by Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
Nelson will helm the film, which is written by Gregory Weidman & Geoff Tock (Below, Dune: Prophecy) and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum, and Leigh Whannell. Executive producers are Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Stacey Testro, Michael Clear, Judson Scott. Alayna Glasthal and Sarah Paek are the executives overseeing the film for Atomic Monster.
Nelson’s Beware Boiúna premiered last week at Fantastic Fest for its world premiere and will be screening at Beyond Fest for its West Coast premiere this week.
Beginning as a low-budget feature directed by Wan and written by Leigh Whannell, Saw made its original debut in the Midnight section of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Since that time, it has gone on to become the longest-running theatrical horror film franchise with a single continuous mythology—without reboots, remakes, or resetting of the canon. With Wan returning to the franchise as producer, the next film will reunite the creative team behind the franchise that launched the careers of the most disturbed minds in horror, and Nelson—a well-respected filmmaker in the genre who has honed his craft to get scares through tension, suspense, and character—is a perfect fit for the Saw mold.
Fogelson said, “It speaks volumes that James Wan is passionate about returning to this franchise, and his belief in Mike evokes his own breakthrough with the original Saw. Mike is one of the promising voices shaping the next generation of horror. He has a singular vision for this film, and we’re incredibly confident in what he’ll deliver.”
James Wan said, “Making the original Saw was a defining experience for me, so it was essential to find a director who would honor that world. 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.”
Mike P. Nelson added, “Being asked to play in this twisted sandbox with James is nothing short of a dream come true. 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!”
MIKE P. NELSON, in addition to Beware Boiúna, Nelson has shown skill in adapting well-established horror franchises with new, contemporary takes: he is also the director of the recent Silent Night, Deadly Night, a well-reviewed and fan-favorite segment of V/H/S 85, Wrong Turn, and the short film Sweet Revenge (which brought Jason Voorhees back to life). He is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Writ Large, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.
The writers, GREGORY WEIDMAN & GEOFF TOCK, are represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners."