This morning I headed down to Lionsgate to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Saw. As a horror fan it blows my mind that it was ten years ago that writer Leigh Whannell and James Wan changed the genre forever with their tiny, original film. People forget how innovative the original Saw was (and how comparatively non-violent it actually is when stacked up against the sequels - a few of which I like as well). While the bulk of our conversation centered around that franchise (in addition to the two other successful horror franchises Wan has helped launch - Insidious and The Conjuring) we did briefly touch on Fast & Furious 7 and how working with that expanded budget compares to the relatively small amount of money Wan spent on Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring. I found his answer to be refreshingly honest and hopeful, so I've decided to share it with you now.
The rest of the interview, which has a lot of really good stuff, will be hitting next week closer to the theatrical re-release of Saw on October 31st. Wan personally oversaw a new transfer of that film for this release and it apparently looks better than ever. Hit the jump for his thoughts on Fast & Furious 7.
Regarding the increased budget Wan said:
"The size of the budget doesn’t make that much of a difference because the kind of issues I have on a low budget film I I have on a big budget film as well, but they’re just much bigger. It doesn’t matter how big or small your film is, you still don’t have enough money. You don’t have enough time to shoot it. When you’re making a bigger movie you have much bigger set pieces that require more time and more effort and more people. But Fast 7 is definitely the hardest movie I’ve had to do in my career. And it’s not just me. Neil Moritz [the film’s producer] has been doing this for a long time and is a very successful, seasoned producer and he said that to me too. That Fast 7 is the hardest movie he’s ever had to make as well in his entire career. And it’s very true. But I think the final product will surprise a lot of people. It’s that hardest film I’ve ever had to make but it’s also the one I’m proudest of. I’m really proud of this film."
Fast & Furious 7 opens in theaters on April 3, 2015. And if you haven't seen Saw recently (or ever) make a point to check it out in theaters this Halloween. It's not at all the "torture porn" most people describe it as, instead it's an inventive thriller that marks the exceptional debut of one of our most effective horror directors. And I'm hearing that Fast 7 will remove that genre qualifier once and for all.
