Lionsgate Oct. 18 announced it has expanded its partnership with Autograph, the web3 brand co-founded by Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, for a new collaboration with Internet Game to launch three “Saw” movie-themed immersive games based on encrypted blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Since the first Saw movie release in 2003, the macabre survivalist horror franchise has grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office. Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures will release the next “Saw” movie theatrically on Oct. 27, 2023.
To play, users must purchase a Saw Games Pass on any of the following three marketplaces: GameStop NFT, Magic Eden, and Internet Game. Passes can be purchased during the public sale on Oct. 24, at 12 p.m. ET. An early window sale will begin on Oct. 21, on GameStop NFT, where a limited number of passes will be available for purchase.
The passes will grant users access to three “Saw”-themed mini-games: Acid Bath, Blood Bucket and Incinerator on the Internet Game platform. The games will take place over three separate days: Halloween (Oct. 31), Nov. 2 and Nov. 4. The metadata of the Games Passes will update for each game to reflect each player’s performance.
Players who “survive” all three games have the opportunity to win prizes, including a combination of “Saw” NFTs and blue chip NFTs. Prizes include an on-set tour of the next “Saw” film, a Mutant Ape NFT, a winner having their name appear in the next Saw film, a trip to the new Saw: The Experience in London, and a Doodles NFT, among other prizes.
“Working with Autograph over the last year has allowed us to give fans the chance to interact with the Saw franchise like never before,” Jenefer Brown, EVP and head of global products and experiences at Lionsgate, said in a statement. “In bringing Internet Game on board as a partner, we’re able to deepen engagement through gamified NFTs that allow fans to become a part of the Saw franchise in a new experience-driven way.”
Twisted Pictures’ co-founders Mark Burg and Oren Koules said expanding the Saw movie franchise to new consumers through interactive gaming is an exciting proposition.
“Our partnership with Lionsgate and Autograph is perfectly timed to engage Saw’s global fan base in exciting new ways, while introducing the franchise to a whole new audience,” they said.
Dillon Rosenblatt, CEO and co-founder of Autograph, said the expanded partnership gives the movie franchise’s fans access to gamified digital collectibles and in-person experiences.
“This collaboration, the mini-games, and the unique prizes will enrich horror fans’ experiences and bring multiple communities closer to their favorite film franchise in a new and exciting way,” Rosenblatt said.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Repo! The Genetic Opera) and written by Josh Stolberg (Jigsaw, “Avatar: The Last Airbender”) and Peter Goldfinger (Jigsaw, Piranha 3D). It stars Chris Rock (“Fargo,” Top Five), Max Minghella (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” The Ides of March), Marisol Nichols (“Riverdale,” “Teen Wolf”) and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Snakes on a Plane).
Spiral is produced by the original Saw team of Mark Burg and Oren Koules.
Lionsgate will release the 2004 horror film Saw on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc for the first time May 11.
