Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures have removed intended director David Hackl from Saw VII, replacing him with Kevin Greutert.
Greutert had previously helmed the previous Saw picture, Saw VI, and was in the middle of prepping the sequel to Oren Peli’s blockbuster Paranormal Activity, when – as Deadline Hollywood reports – Twisted Pictures has exercised a “contractual option” to reinstall Greutert.
This Halloween will see a rematch between Lionsgate and Paramount, just as last Halloween saw Saw VI and Paranormal Activity go head-to-head. The sixth entry in Lionsgate’s venerable franchise was trounced by Paramount/DreamWorks’ indie acquisition, as Activity – based on word of mouth and aggressive marketing – climbed to $107 million (on a pre-studio budget of $15,000!), while Saw VI crawled to $27.6 million, becoming to smallest earner in the Saw stable.
Saw VII‘s trump card is 3D, as it’s the first in the franchise to jump on the stereoscopic bandwagon. And with original Activity director Peli moved on to the similar “found footage” flick Area 51, part 2 will be helmed by someone else – just who is, at this stage, unknown.
Click here for Deadline Hollywood’s original report.
Both films are set for release October 22.
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