‘Saw’ headed back to theaters this Halloween for 10th anniversary

“Saw” will cut a bloody swath back to the multiplex this Halloween, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its original release with a one-week theatrical run.

The horror flick will open nationwide on Friday, Oct. 31, preceded by select screenings the night before, Lionsgate announced Wednesday.

Directed by James Wan from a script by Leigh Whannell, “Saw” tells the story of two men (played by Whannell and Cary Elwes) who wake up in the lair of a demented serial killer named Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) and are forced to navigate a series of elaborate traps that require them to do the unthinkable to survive.

Widely credited with — and blamed for — popularizing the “torture porn” subgenre, “Saw” spawned a wildly successful seven-film franchise that has grossed a combined $874 million at the worldwide box office. (Critics regularly panned the movies, with no apparent ill effect.)

Eventually, the “Saw” series petered out and was supplanted in the horror realm by found-footage scarers such as the “Paranormal Activity” movies. Ten years on, the original “Saw” may hold some nostalgic appeal, although the most recent sequel, “Saw 3D,” was only four years ago.

“Saw” producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg are hoping the movie reaches a younger generation of moviegoers as well. “We’re thrilled to give new fans and audiences the opportunity to experience this film on the big screen for the very first time,” they said in a statement.

Wan and Whannell, meanwhile, have since gone on to create the “Insidious” horror franchise, and Whannell will make his directorial debut on that series’ third installment. Wan’s post-”Saw” movies include “The Conjuring” and the upcoming “Fast & Furious 7.”

Follow @ogettell for movie news