"I am a huge fan of the locked in a room thriller, and 'Saw' delivers and more," said Block. "James Wan has crafted a cool and unique concept and Evolution Management has a keen eye for the kind of new talent with whom we are thrilled to be working. We are excited to debut this terrific film in the Sundance 'Park City at Midnight' section, continuing to build our leadership in the horror/thriller genre."
"This movie is the perfect fit for Lions Gate and Evolution Management," said Oren Koules of Evolution Management. "Lions Gate is the most daring and ingenious distributor of genre material in the business. Their success with films such as 'Cabin Fever' and 'House of 1000 Corpses' and the Toronto acquisition 'Haute Tension,' plus their dedication and resolve to this picture, sold us from day one. We are honored to be working with such a respected and knowledgeable team."
"Saw" revolves around a series of gruesome deaths (in the style of "Seven") orchestrated by a psychopath the police have nicknamed Jigsaw because his calling card is a bloody brand in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle piece left on his victims. Waking up in a mysterious room, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell) find they are chained to the wall and have no idea how they got there. They find themselves the trapped victims of a serial killer's twisted game in this stylish thriller about escape, survival and the furious race against time.
The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter and Leigh Whannell in his first starring role. It is directed by James Wan, from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell, produced by Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules and Mark Burg and executive produced by Stacey Testro, with cinematography by David A. Armstrong.
Moving into calendar 2004, Lions Gate, which recently concluded its merger with Artisan Entertainment, has an A-list star-driven slate including the contemporary cloning thriller "Godsend," starring two-time Academy Award winner Robert DeNiro, Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" (in conjunction with Miramax Films), which reimagines the 1987 worldwide blockbuster and stars sensational newcomers Diego Luna ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") and Romola Garai, the dark comedy "Eulogy," starring Emmy Award-winner Ray Romano, the futuristic "The Final Cut," starring Academy Award winner Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino and Jim Caviezel, the Cannes Film Festival sensation "Dogville," starring Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman, the just-completed urban comedy "The Cookout," with Queen Latifah and a strong ensemble cast, the highly-anticipated "The Punisher," inspired by the cult favorite Marvel superhero, with an all-star cast led by Thomas Jane, John Travolta and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, and the romantic period drama "Stage Beauty," starring Billy Crudup, Claire Danes and Rupert Everett.
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