Darren Lynn Bousman: Spiral will appeal to a wide spectrum

Darren Lynn Bousman says that 'Spiral' will appeal to both fans and non-fans of the 'Saw' series.

The 42-year-old director will helm the latest installment of the horror franchise – which stars Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson - and suggested that it will be a reinvention of the series while maintaining elements that will appeal to hardcore 'Saw' fans.

Darren, who directed three of the previous flicks, said: "The DNA of the movie comes from the universe of 'Saw', no doubt, but it's it's own thing.

"I love the world and script that Josh (Stolberg), Pete (Goldfinger), and Chris Rock created here. It feels familiar, yet it's completely unique and different from what has come before it. I think this movie honours the mythology of the past films, yet charts course for something entirely different.

"Long-time fans will still get the things they crave; macabre traps, unexpected twists, (and even a puppet), but Chris, Max (Minghella), Samuel (L. Jackson), and Marisol (Nichols) elevate this into something truly unique and special."

The 'Mother's Day' director explained that the "grown up" nature of the project will attract an audience that weren't previously 'Saw' fans.

Speaking to Comicbook.com, he said: "We've all grown up. Me, as a filmmaker, and the franchise as a whole. When I started making these films violence and gore was a gimmick. I wanted to see how far I/we could push the envelope while still telling a compelling story.

"This time around, the violence, and gore, serve the story. In the case of 'Spiral', story and character came first above all else – and then we peppered in the red.

"I think 'Spiral' is a 'best of'. It has taken the best threads of all the previous films, and woven a complex, and scary web."

The 'Saw' franchise was started in 2004 by director James Wan and focused John Kramer, known as the Jigsaw killer, who after failing to commit suicide due to his incurable cancer finds a new appreciation of life and decides to test the will to live of others by testing them in gruesome games which will end in their death if they fail.

Jigsaw, played by Tobin Bell in eight films, used ventriloquist puppet Billy to taunt his victims and explain the rules of his sadistic tests.