Jigsaw is dying, and he’s saved the most shocking game for last…
Two years ago, the psychotic mastermind terrified audiences around the world in SAW, ensaring his victims in unspeakably gruesome games. In 2005, SAW II continued Jigsaw’s saga, establishing the SAW franchise as one of the most successful – and talked about – horror series of recent years. Now, Darren Lynn Bousman, the director of SAW II, returns to the helm of SAW III, a new chapter that promises to trump its predecessors in scares and intensity – and give fans an even closer look at Jigsaw’s dark world.
“In SAW III, we learn much more about Jigsaw than we have before,” explains Bousman. “This time he has a much grander plan, but his health is failing. So he has enlisted the help of some unlucky victims to make sure he survives and his plan is carried through.”
“SAW III is a major rollercoaster ride,” says producer Mark Burg. “There are amazing traps and more of Jigsaw in a way that we haven't seen him. I don't think anybody who sits down in the theater will see the ending coming.”
Fans of the first two SAW films will see several familiar faces in SAW III: Tobin Bell reprises his role as Jigsaw; Shawnee Smith returns as Jigsaw’s unlikely protegé, Amanda; and Dina Meyer appears as Kerry, SAW II’s police detective. Also returning are SAW co-creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who wrote the story, with Whannell (who co-wrote both SAW and SAW II) assuming sole writing credit for the script. “Leigh is a very talented writer,” avows Burg. “This script shows that he’s adept with complex plotting, but he can also write characters with real psychological depth.”
Despite SAW II’s success, Bousman, who only finished directing the sequel last year, was initially reluctant to return to the series. “There was a lot of pressure after the popularity of the first two, and I didn’t want to let the fans down,” he admits. “But James, Leigh and I knew that they were going to hand the SAW films off to somebody else, and we wanted to make sure that the integrity was preserved. On top of that, I really liked the new story.”
Bousman’s familiarity with the production certainly placed him at an advantage; yet delivering the highly anticipated third installment of a cult series was not without its challenges. “The hardest thing is trying to give the audience something they haven't seen before,” explains Bousman. “We have to make it more violent, more intense, more horrific, but also stay true to the story and the characters.”
Adds producer Oren Koules, “I think this year we're particularly aware of meeting and surpassing the audience’s expectations. We've worked incredibly hard to make it as exciting as we possibly can.” With Whannell and Bousman back on board, the producers continued to re-assemble the winning team behind SAW II. According to Koules, almost ninety-five percent of the SAW II crew returned to the new production, including director of photography David Armstrong and production designer David Hackl. The crew was housed in the same hotel and many of the same locations in Toronto were used. “It was like reuniting a family,” reports Koules. “It was as if we never went away.”
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