Corona | Coming Attractions

A new trailer for Saw 3D (as Lionsgate is now calling it) has been released. It pimps the 3D angle of the film hard, just in case you didn't pick that up from the film's title.

Lionsgate (via Bloody Disgusting) has revealed the full cast list for Saw VII and there's a surprise amongst the list: Cary Elwes is returning as Dr. Lawrence Gordon from the first Saw. How? Who knows (just yet.)

Lionsgate describes Saw VII 3-D using these words: "As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror..."

Also returning to the horror franchise are Tobin Bell as Jigsaw, Costas Mandylor and Betsy Russell. Newcomers include Sean Patrick Flanery, Gina Holden, Chad Donella, Laurence Anthony, Dean Armstrong and Naomi Snieckus.

Whoa! After the trades announced the news of Paramount Pictures hiring Saw VI director Kevin Greutert to helm the sequel to Paranormal Activity last week, now there's a story that Lionsgate is exercising a clause in Greutert's contract forcing him to direct Saw VII 3D. Of course, that would mean that Greutert won't be able to make Paranormal Activity 2 for Paramount and that the studio would have to move fast to secure a substitute to ensure PA2 meets its October 22 release date (which, no so coincidentally, is the same release date for Saw VII 3D).

During a presentation in New York City last week, Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns revealed that the next Saw movie will be presented in 3D. Burns also said that his company will continue to make new Saw movies for as long as the franchise remains commercially viable (even after Saw VI only racked up $25 million at the box office, the lowest-grossing film so far in the horror series.)

The seventh Saw film has received a greenlight from Lionsgate and is scheduled to go into production in January 2010 for a Halloween release in that year. David Hackl, the production designer of the second, third and fourth Saw pictures, will direct Saw VII while Saw IV, V and VI screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton will write the screenplay.

Saw VI, the next to-be-released in the buzzing horror franchise, is scheduled for an October 23, 2009 release.