There have been numerous rumors over the last few years about an eighth installment in the Saw franchise. Last we heard, Lionsgate tapped Piranha 3D scribes Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger to write the screenplay for the sequel, titled Saw: Legacy (gee, what could that title mean), and while the studio has yet to confirm anything, a new report makes the return of the franchise seem much more concrete — and imminent.

Bloody Disgusting reports that Michael and Peter Spierig, the directors behind Ethan Hawke’s sci-fi flick Predestination, have signed on to helm Saw: Legacy. The site dug up Ontario Media Development Corporation’s list of upcoming projects, which names the Spierig brothers as the directors of the new Saw sequel, which — per the company’s film schedule — will begin filming in Ontario in September.

That means we could see a new Saw movie sometime next year, and given the franchise’s success in October (“If it’s Halloween, it’s Saw!”), that seems like a definite possibility. Lionsgate still hasn’t confirmed the news, nor is it clear if original Saw director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell will return to produce Legacy — previous reports suggested this would be the case, however.

It’s been six years since the release of Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, the seventh installment in the series that began with Wan’s debut film back in 2004. While there are no plot details on the new sequel, the Legacy title suggests we could see a passing of the torch to a new, younger villain — a concept that’s become quite popular with franchises in recent years. My only real hope is that the sequel finds a way to take the increasingly convoluted series back to its simpler roots.

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