Saw (Horror film)

Saw is a horror franchise distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment and produced by Twisted Pictures that. Saw consists of seven films and two video games. The video game was published by Konami. The franchise began with the 2003 short film which was created by Australian director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell to help pitch as a potential feature film. This was successfully done in 2004 with the release of the first feature film at the Sundance Film Festival. It was released theatrically that October. The sequels were directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, David Hackl and Kevin Greutert, and were written by Wan, Whannell, Bousman, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and have been released subsequently every October, on the Friday before Halloween. Both of the creators remained with the franchise as executive producers. On July 22, 2010, producer Mark Burg confirmed that the seventh film, Saw 3D, is the final installment of the series. Series creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell are still open to continuing the series, however, if they can do something "different" with the material. The films collectively grossed over $873 million at the box office worldwide. Lionsgate also expressed interest in continuing the franchise in 2012, though it is unknown whether the series will continue with another sequel, or a reboot of the entire franchise.
The franchise revolves around the fictional character of John Kramer, also called the "Jigsaw Killer" or simply "Jigsaw". He was introduced briefly in Saw and developed in more detail in Saw II. Rather than killing his victims outright, Jigsaw traps them in situations that he calls "tests" or "games" to test their will to live through physical or psychological torture. Despite the fact that John was murdered in Saw III, the films continue to focus on the posthumous influence of the Jigsaw Killer and his apprentices by exploring his character via flashbacks.