I think I can speak for most fans of Marvel Comic's Punisher when I say that in light of just how crappy previous Punisher flicks have been in the past, then a 're-boot' was really the only sensible option (though I'm not sure it's a re-boot; perhaps a continuation or something along those lines). Latino Review is now hosting three new images from Punisher: War Zone straight from director Lexi Alexander's blog (which you can also view here, to the right, and after the jump). The last picture we got wasn't exactly the most illuminating when it comes to details, and, to be honest, I couldn't make out much here either. On the up side, at least star Ray Stevenson no longer looks like Steven Seagal's long lost brother.

Taking over where Thomas Jane and Dolph Lundgren left off, Stevenson stars as Frank Castle (aka The Punisher); when his family is wiped out by the mob, he becomes a one man army pegging off criminals and mobsters everywhere. Joining Stevenson are Dominic West as Jigsaw (who fans might remember from the comics, albeit from a different storyline) and Wayne Knight (better known as Jerry's nemesis Newman) as Microchip.

Erik got the chance to talk with director Lexi Alexander about the need for a remake of the classic character. Alexander said, "I would say it's a complete different re-boot, just because neither one of the previous [films] were relevant. And with Castle, it's one story -- the mythology stays the same -- and I think I just have a very very different take on it. I was lucky to put it in the right environment, which was dark and cold". Judging by the photos on her blog, it looks like she succeeded in creating that 'environment'. Shooting for Punisher: War Zone wrapped back in December and is scheduled to hit theaters on September 12th, 2008. Check out two more pics after the jump ...

If it's Halloween, it must be Saw. And it is. So it must be. Cinematical attended a press junket this week for Saw IV. It consisted of three interviews, with reporters from various outlets throwing out questions. The first was with Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell (phoning in because he lives in Malibu, so wish him and his family well). The second was with Lyriq Bent (Rigg), Scott Patterson (Agent Strahm), and franchise producer Mark Burg. The third was with Costas Mandylor (Hoffman), Betsy Russell (Jill -- Mrs. Jigsaw), and franchise producer Oren Koules. Lionsgate hadn't screened the movie for critics (or even the actors!) as of this junket, as the representatives are extremely secretive about its plot, particularly a final twist. All we know is, despite having seemingly died at the end of Saw III, Jigsaw is back. Oh yes, and we know that there will be blood. Lotsa blood. We discussed what makes the franchise so popular, the phrase "torture porn," and the future of the Saw series.

Can you tell us what attracted you to the role yet again?

Tobin Bell: He's a big character. There could be nothing better for an actor than to have an opportunity to play a role where the character is sort of a multi-faceted guy. I mean, he is a scientist and a very well read guy and a man of conviction and passionate about what he does. There is something Shakespearean about him in a way. And there is a lot more story to be told. I feel like the Saw story doesn't play out in a linear way. It doesn't happen in sequence, necessarily. Whenever you have the opportunity to develop a guy like this, it's a blessing. It's what actors become actors for.

It's interesting to hear you talk about the thought process that goes into creating his back-story. Because if you ask an audience after they see a Saw film, they were there for the gore. They want to see someone's guts spill out on the floor. Are you rationalizing the character for yourself? Or do you really care about the characters in these films?

TB: I think that anybody who goes to one of these films wants to care about the characters. I think you can accomplish the same thing in the horror genre that you can accomplish in any other genre, whether it's a period piece, or a romantic comedy. I think there is an opportunity in a drama of any kind for the viewer to get involved with the characters. If you sell out completely on that, and I think that is what the horror genre has done for many years, people will not think of it very highly as a genre. Many genre films of the fifties and sixties were interested in the special effects, or interested in the scare factor, or the sci-fi factor. Jacob's Ladder is a very smart, well-crafted script. It is very scary. The Dead Zone with Christopher Walken. On its face, you have a man that looks at things and lights them on fire with his eyes. Look at the film. Christopher Walken draws you in. He makes you care about him. That's what makes the film work.

Pictured Above: Cinematical's Erik Davis wakes up in Saw IV.

Oh, how I lurve Lionsgate. Not long ago, I woke up to a package arriving at my door which contained a pair of girl's underwear promoting the film Good Luck Chuck. The underwear were cute, and my wife wears them when we role-play, pretending to be Dane Cook (that's me) and Jessica Alba (that's her). What? Why are you looking at me like that? Anyway, this morning a different kind of package arrived at my door; this time Lionsgate was pimping out a certain horror sequel opening in theaters this weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn't another pair of girl's underwear. Oh no, this time it was a large briefcase. As I removed the briefcase out of the ginormous box it came in, a million different scenarios ran through my head. Maybe they sent me Megan Fox? Could she fit in a briefcase? Perhaps?

No, it wasn't Megan Fox. It was a nifty Saw IV package, consisting of a t-shirt (seen above), a weird pig's mask (now I have a Halloween costume!), a key chain that speaks like Jigsaw when you push a button, a few Saw IV postcards and a bottle of vodka. Combine all of that together, and I can come up with one helluva freaky night for myself. I can only imagine how nutty this film is going to be, and if I drink enough of that vodka, perhaps I'll work up the courage to sit through it. You can check out all the Saw IV treats Lionsgate sent me in the gallery below; Saw IV finally arrives in theaters this Friday.

According to Bloody-Disgusting, Lionsgate is planning to shoot Saw V and Saw VI back-to-back, perhaps to make sure they have two sequels in the can prior to any sort of Hollywood strike. Either that, or they're just testing director David Hackl and his crew to see how fast they can write and shoot these suckers. Of course, I won't be happy until they write, shoot and have a Saw film in the can in one month, with 12 sequels to watch each year. Maybe by that time they'll figure out a way to clone Tobin Bell before the guy gets so used to being Jigsaw, that he winds up going on a mass killing spree for real. Screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton (Feast, Project Greenlight) wrote Saw IV, and they're also signed on to write two more sequels. Good for them! At least someone came off that Project Greenlight show ready to kick serious ass.

The most interesting note to come attached to this Bloody-Disgusting story is that, apparently, Lionsgate may skip a year with the Saw films. Yup, that means October 2008 would come and go Saw-free. This has not been confirmed yet, and folks are on it as we speak, but that's what's being reported. Should Saw IV absolutely demolish the box office, I imagine Lionsgate may re-think that strategy. But if Saw IV doesn't put up big numbers, then maybe it would be a good idea to take a year off, let the fans breath, and then come back with a Saw V and Saw VI that absolutely rock. What do you think? Are you ready for the Saw franchise to end? Do you want to keep seeing one installment each year? Or, would you be down with them taking a year off?

Recently, when Paddy Considine was being considered for the role of the villain Jigsaw in The Punisher: War Zone, a fan questioned why the movie would cast a Brit as an Italian mobster. That fan will probably continue wondering, because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate has finally announced the actor who won the part over Considine, and it is another English actor, Dominic West. If you remember, Considine was offered the role when the first choice had to pass, but then that first choice ended up taking it after all. So, West must have been that first choice. Funny, I was expecting someone more well-known, but I guess with recent appearances in 300 and Hannibal Rising and a recurring part on the popular television series The Wire, West is still more famous than Cinderella Man's Considine (personally, I can only place West in 28 Days, while I've seen much of Considine's work). For those unfamiliar with the comics, Jigsaw has a torn-up and re-stitched face, so it isn't like audiences will be recognizing West's own mug anyway.

Joining West is a more familiar actor who has also just been cast in the movie. Everyone's favorite conniving fat man, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's "Newman"), will play Microchip (aka Linus Lieberman), the lone confidant who works with The Punisher, supplying him with guns and ammo -- think James Bond's Q meets Batman's Alfred, says Wikipedia. Because we can expect nothing less from Knight, though, I have to assume he also stabs The Punisher in the back and then gets eaten by dinosaurs. West and Knight join Ray Stevenson, as The Punisher, and the recently announced Dash Mikok (Romeo + Juliet's "Benvolio"), as Detective Soap, Colin Salmon (Resident Evil), as Agent Budiansky, and Doug Hutchison (The Green Mile) as LBJ (aka Looney Bin Jim). The comic adaptation will be directed by Lexi Alexander and may be released as early as late 2008.

Some more exciting news coming out of Comic-Con yesterday. This time around I had the fortune to attend the special preview of upcoming Lionsgate releases and a panel convened for just such a purpose. Some of the films discussed during the panel include upcoming releases 3:10 to Yuma, Good Luck Chuck, Midnight Meat Train and the inevitable Saw IV. An interesting and eclectic mix of genres and talent represented at the panel to be sure. Ok, settle in because here's the scoop.

First up was the very amusing Dane Cook and the supremely attractive Jessica Alba -- looking fantastic in a tight black dress and her, as Dane Cook joked "C-3P0 shoes" -- discussing their upcoming film Good Luck Chuck. We've talked about this film before here at Cinematical, but this time around I got a chance to see some exclusive footage from it -- including a scene where Alba takes a bubble bath and tries to have phone sex with Cook's character.

Of course, that clip was met with huge approval by the entranced attendees. Sadly, as much as I like Dane Cook and Jessica Alba (who doesn't?), I had a hard time getting too excited about the film -- Alba and bubbles notwithstanding. The crowd, however, mostly reacted positively to the previews, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Or, maybe I'm just jaded from seeing too many less-than-stellar movies? Either way, we'll know for sure if the film is good or not when it hits theaters on September 21st.

In all the horror movie hype of controversial billboards and pointing fingers, Saw IV might have gotten lost in the shuffle. There hasn't been a lot of news about the film so far, other than a few glimpses at a teaser poster. Plus, the latest photo to appear on MTV.com isn't giving anything up about what to expect from the latest installment of the series. The image consists of what looks to be a woman strapped to a chair with an ominous countdown clock presumably ticking away -- familiar terrain, I'm sure, for fans of the films. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, the film reportedly was going to pick up where number three left off, with one of the survivors (Angus Macfadyen) still trapped in Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) "house of horrors." Armed only with a videotape starring Jigsaw, he must solve a mystery to save his daughter. But, Bousman has already discounted that storyline with Bloody Disgusting, saying that "Every plot synopsis you've read online is false and untrue. The thing with Macfadyen looking for his daughter? Believe it if you want. But no one knows what this story is."

Erik gave us the news a couple of weeks back that the horror movie had just finished shooting, and I'm guessing that expectations for the film's box office take are probably still pretty high despite the much-discussed horror backlash. Especially when you think back to the highly profitable opening that Saw III had, Lionsgate is probably hoping that lightening is going to strike twice. We will have to wait and see until October 26th, when Saw IV hits theaters.

What looks to be the only successful horror franchise at the moment (box office wise) has apparently just wrapped production on its latest entry, and entered the editing phase. Over on his MySpace blog, director Darren Lynn Bousman proclaims, "Saw IV shot - and onto editing!!! HELL YEAH!!!!" Based on all the capital letters and exclamation points, I take it the dude is just a tad excited about the whole thing. And why wouldn't he be? After helping kick-start this whole "torture phase" that the horror genre has been in as of late, it's the only franchise still alive and capable of making a killing at the box office. So much so that most horror flicks now have to steer clear of Halloween (the holiday) because they're afraid Saw (insert number here) will demolish them. Could this be why Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween is coming out on, um, August 31? Probably.

Not only are the films successful, but they're also pretty good ... according to those friends of mine who actually had the guts to sit through Saw II and Saw III. That's right, after enjoying the original, I stayed away from the sequels because I'm not crazy about throwing up after I watch a film. I know, I'm a sissy -- blame my parents. Anyway, they're successful, they're entertaining and the filmmakers are somehow able to shoot and edit these suckers faster than it takes to figure out the plot of the previous installment. Written by Project Greenlight boys Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton (Feast), Saw IV will have something to do with the serial killer Jigsaw screwing with people who are locked in a room. (Although I haven't seen the last two flicks, I speculate that plot description is right on.) Saw IV is currently scheduled to hit theaters on October 26.

Saw sequel maker Darren Lynn Bousman has posted production blogs on several movie sites over the past few years, but this year he's settling down at FEARnet. His inaugural blog entry doesn't deliver any new casting notices or shocking surprises, but he does dole out an explanation as to why he recently signed on to direct a third Saw sequel. (As if you'd walk away from such a profitable -- and clearly enjoyable -- movie gig.) The guy's locked up for Repo: A Genetic Opera and a remake of Scanners, but for the next several months, DLB is all about the Saw sickness.

With production on Saw 4 set to begin in Toronto next week, Mr. Bousman is prepared to give us twice-weekly updates on how his third sequel is going. To kick things off he expresses a lot of affection for the Saw production family, makes no apologies for sticking with the sequels, and offers an insightful breakdown of the Saw flicks' genre-bending ways. (He also promises to chat about non-Saw-related topics, which might mean some early info on his future projects.)

In related news, Dread Central is reporting that Lyriq Bent will be returning for his third Saw installment, while Bloody-Disgusting.com indicates that Justin Louis (Dawn of the Dead) has joined the (rapidly growing) Saw 4 cast. (The backward-hat-wearing guy from Gilmore Girls has also been signed up.) Meanwhile, every horror-friendly website on the planet reminds us that Saw-master Tobin Bell will also be back for some more punishment. Unfortunately, I think it's safe to assume that the lovely Dina Meyer will not be showing up in the next sequel.

I was really surprised when Boogeyman went on to gross over $45 million last January, but I guess that's what happens when you snag a simplistically slick title and market the thing to 14-year-old kids. And yes, there's now a sequel coming (very) soon. We've already reported on the writer, the director and some of the initial cast members, but here's a mini-bombshell that could cause gorehounds the world over to give Boogeyman 2 a fair shake: They just cast Tobin Bell as one of the sequel's leads. Yes, that's right: Jigsaw himself is moving over to the Boogeyman franchise -- and that sound you just heard was Bell joining the ranks of actors like Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), Doug Bradley (Pinhead), Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface) and Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees).

Also added to the cast were folks with names like John Simmons, Matt Cohen and Chrissy Griffith; they'll be joining Danielle Savre, David Gallagher and Mae Whitman in the Boogeyman 2 cast. What is the plot? A chick with a boogeyman phobia checks into a mental health facility, then things go terribly wrong. Editor Jeff Betancourt makes his directorial debut on this one, and he'll be working from a screenplay by equally green screenwriter Brian Sieve. Jigsaw or no, this project still screams Netflix rental to me -- at best.

Back in October, Cinematical's comic book guru Marky B. let us know that a sequel to Jonathan Hensleigh's The Punisher was being discussed ... although it was only in the "talking about it" phase. But now that Lionsgate has released an extended director's cut of the flick, there's been a lot more buzzings about a follow-up. (Having recently seen the extended version, I do think it's an improvement over the theatrical cut -- but also that Mr. Hensleigh missed a golden opportunity to excise some of the lamer bits.)

The Punisher himself (Deep Blue Sea's Thomas Jane) recently informed IGN Movies that the sequel is almost certainly moving forward ... provided Hensleigh produces a viable screenplay, that is. Apparently the first movie had an inordinately low budget for this type of project (let's just say less than $20 million), and has proven itself to be DVD-popular enough to warrant a second spin. No word yet on how Lionsgate/Marvel feels about this plan, but if Mr. Jane is to be believed it certainly looks like we'll be getting a harsher, darker Punisher adventure some time relatively soon.

Oh, and if the sequel does go through, this guy will be the villain.

Well there's a reason why the Saw franchise keeps churning out sequel after sequel -- on Friday alone, the bloody thing took home $14 million. That's up from the $12.1 million Saw II took in on its opening day. Damn, is it just me or are people really into this Jigsaw dude?

And it's not just audiences who are scared of the clown-faced serial killer, no one was down with releasing any of this fall's top box office contenders anywhere near Saw III. Both The Departed and The Prestige (less than $3 million each on Friday) were left to duke it out for second place, but their final numbers will come nowhere near the horror sequel, and Catch a Fire (the only other film going wide this weekend) couldn't catch this puppy even if Saw had its weekend gross sawed in half. When it's all said and done, Saw III will most likely double the original's opening with somewhere in the neighborhood of $36 million. With a fourth installment already in the works, just how many of these do you think we'll see?