MacGyver film gets a director

80s TV show 'MacGyver' is coming to the big screen, thanks to one of the creators of horror franchise 'Saw'.

James Wan is signed on to direct the cinema interpretation of the uber-resourceful secret agent, originally played by Richard Dean Anderson, who would go on to front sci-fi series 'Stargate SG-1'.

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As well as 'Saw', Wan was behind 2010's low-budget horror hit 'Insidious', and will make the 'MacGyver' film for the New Line studio.

The script has been completed by Jason Richman, who penned Nicolas Cage vehicle 'Bangkok Dangerous'.

The original series ran from 1985 to 1992, and took its lead from shows like 'The A-Team', with Dean Anderson getting himself out of a tight spot each week by using the materials around him, favouring non-violent resolutions and the liberal use of gaffer tape.

It's thought that the new film will take the same serious tone, rather than injecting comedy into proceedings – the show was lampooned in 2010 as 'MacGruber', featuring comedian Will Forte, Kirsten Wiig and Val Kilmer.

Original series producer Lee David Zlotoff is on board, but there's no word on who might play the titular agent, or whether there might be roles for Dean Anderson, or the show's other original producer, Henry Winkler.