‘Saw’ New Movie Being Directed by Beware Boiúna’s ‘Mike P. Nelson

Mike P. Nelson, the filmmaker behind Lionsgate‘s upcoming horror pic, Beware Boiúna, will be directing the next installment of the studio’s Saw as the billion dollar-plus grossing franchise returns to the hands of its architect, James Wan, who is producing under Blumhouse Atomic Monster.

The next Saw movie was written by Gregory Weidman & Geoff Tock (Below, Dune: Prophecy) and produced by Wan, Jason Blum, and the franchise’s original co-scribe Leigh Whannell. EPs are Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Stacey Testro, Michael Clear, Judson Scott. Alayna Glasthal and Sarah Paek are the executives overseeing the film for Blumhouse Atomic Monster. Wan directed and co-wrote the first Saw movie with Whannell.

Nelson’s Beware Boiúna hits theaters on Oct. 2. The action horror thriller centers around an animal predator, the “Boiúna,” in the Amazon rain forest. A team of doctors embark on a local mission in the jungle and soon learn that not everybody -or everything- is happy to see them, especially Boiúna. 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.

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 ten films strong with a single continuous mythology—sans reboots, remakes, or resetting of the canon.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Adam 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.”

Wan added, “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.”

Nelson said, “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!”

Nelson directed the recent revamp of Silent Night, Deadly Night, a segment of V/H/S 85, Wrong Turn, and the short film Sweet Revenge (which brought Jason Voorhees back to life). The filmmaker 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, Weidman and Tock, are represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.