July 14, 2016 - 15:16 AMT
Lionsgate dates Liam Neeson’s “Commuter” for 2017

Lionsgate has set a pre-Halloween release date of Oct. 27, 2017, for its eighth “Saw” movie and Liam Neeson’s “The Commuter” for two weeks earlier, Variety said.

The untitled film is being directed by twin brothers Michael and Peter Spierig with Twisted Pictures producing.

The original “Saw” cost $1.2 million and was James Wan’s feature film directorial debut from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell with Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, Tobin Bell and Leigh Whannell starring. The film was released in October, 2004, with the next six movies released in the same pre-Halloween slot through 2010.

The franchise revolves around the fictional character John Kramer, also called the “Jigsaw Killer” or “Jigsaw,” who traps victims in situations that test their will to live.

Lionsgate also announced Wednesday that action-comedy “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” will open on Aug. 18, 2017. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman and Elodie Yung star with Patrick Hughes direction from a Tom O’Connor script.

It’s also opening “The Commuter,” starring Neeson and Vera Farmiga, on Oct. 13, 2017. Jaume Collet-Serra is directing and StudioCanal is producing.

Neeson plays an insurance salesman on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine, after being caught up in a criminal conspiracy.