Every game has a beginning, and Jigsaw began his sick brand of torture 20 years ago when the first Saw hit the big screen in 2004. Since then, Saw has become a major horror movie franchise with multiple installments and legacy sequels. To celebrate how it all began, fans will be able to see the unrated version of the film for the first time on the big screen.
Per the official X page for Saw, the first movie is headed back to the big screen in its full unrated version for the very first time. The news was celebrated with a caption that reads, “20 years later and still ready for my close-up. See me back on the big screen when SAW Unrated slices into select theaters on October 20 and 23.” Fans are also guided to “Get your hands (and feet) on tickets now” by heading HERE. The screenings will also include bonus content from Tobin Bell discussing his role as John Kramer and the entire Saw fandom.
Saw Began as a Low-Budget Short Film
Directed by James Wan in his feature debut from a screenplay by his close friend Leigh Whannell, Saw began its life in 2001. However, the duo failed to get the film produced in Australia, where both men are from. They eventually shot a low-budget short film of the same name after traveling to Los Angeles, and this proved to garner the interest of Evolution Entertainment, who were also forming a horror movie banner called Twisted Pictures. The movie was then given a slim $1.2 million budget and a production shoot of 18 days.
The film features Whannell as Adam and Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon, two men who awaken in a dilapidated bathroom with one being given orders to kill the other to save his family. The story is framed around the Jigsaw Killer (Bell), someone who tests his victims and their will to live by having them participate in sick games that result in great physical pain, but ultimately survival should they complete them. In addition to Whannell, Bell, and Elwes, the film also stars Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, and Ken Leung.
Saw had its first screening at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and was eventually picked up by Lionsgate for distribution. While reviews from critics were mixed, Saw went on to become a great box office success, grossing $103.9 million on a $1.2 million budget. Since the release of the first movie, the Saw franchise has earned more than $1 billion globally from box office and other sales.
The
Unrated Saw
re-release hits screens on Oct. 20 and 23.