Although 'Saw VI' fared poorly at the US box office, the studio behind the horror series aren't pulling the plug on the brand.

"As long as we make money on it we'll keep doing this," Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns confirmed.

"'Dirty Dancing' still sells 2000 DVDs a day for the company, and that's after 20 years," he said.

Burns blamed the poor results of 'Saw VI' on stiff competition from the thriller 'Paranormal Activity'.

The seventh instalment of 'Saw' is said to be completely in 3D, which will be a first for the franchise.

Although Lionsgate "prides itself on rigorous cost control", Burns told The Hollywood reporter that "passion goes a long way" at the company.

He pointed out that, besides the obvious money spinner that is 'Saw', Lionsgate has been responsible for critical success stories like 'Precious' and 'Crash' which other studios were wary of.