Jigsaw No Longer Wants To Play a Game: ‘Saw XI’ May Be Cancelled
Ever since the first film’s release in 2004, James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s Saw franchise has captured the hearts of millions of horror fans. We love watching Jigsaw, aka John Kramer (Tobin Bell), force bad people to endure some of the most creatively disgusting traps ever seen on screen. From sawing off feet to sucking out bone marrow, the ten-film franchise has made over a billion dollars worldwide by capitalizing on our squeamish desire for another installment of gleeful torture. Sadly, it seems this series is coming to an unceremonious close as Bloody Disgusting reported the upcoming Saw XI has been canceled due to producer disagreements.
Initially reported yesterday, Bloody Disgusting shared that an anonymous source close to the production told them that the film is “totally dead. It’s 100% over. Almost a year now.”
The source went on to say, “Everything went sideways in January 2024 … the producers started fighting.” According to the source, one producer wanted to “plow forward” with Saw XI while another producer actively “put up roadblocks” to try and stall filming.
The Hollywood Reporter then shared a comment from Saw XI co-writer Patrick Melton, who told the publication, “We haven’t heard anything since May. It’s stalled at a managerial level. It has nothing to do with the creative or anything else. There’s higher-level things at play.”
Melton and co-writer Marcus Dunstan reportedly turned in the most recent draft of the script in the spring of 2024. The plot, while kept under wraps, was reportedly very timely and similar to what we saw in Saw VI.
Melton told THR, “Saw XI may or may not be made, but we have a very timely story in it, and I hope it gets made just because of that. It taps into the same themes of Saw VI, where you’re a citizen, you feel angry and frustrated with something, you feel like you can’t do anything, and John Kramer’s going to do it.”
Dread Central recently published a story about the continued relevance of Saw VI after the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. It would only make sense to tap into that ever-growing anxiety, especially in the face of new U.S. leadership who seem hellbent on destroying anyone who isn’t filthy rich.
Saw XI was initially announced in 2023 after the successful release of Saw X. Critics loved it, audiences loved it, and it raked in $125.3 million at the box office against a $13 million budget. So naturally Lionsgate was quick to announce that Saw XI was on its way via a now-deleted post on X.
Check out the official ‘SAW XI’ announcement artwork.
— Dread Central (@DreadCentral) December 12, 2023
The new film hits theaters on September 27, 2024. pic.twitter.com/TWUWor2Av2
Then, in December 2023, Lionsgate announced that Saw X director Kevin Greutert was attached to direct Saw XI for a September 27, 2024 release. Greutert is a franchise staple, directing Saw VI and Saw 3D, as well as editing the first Saw through Saw V, as well as Jigsaw and Saw X. Melton and Dunstan, who previously wrote Saw IV through Saw 3D, were also set to return, as well as franchise stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, and Costas Madylor.
Then that September 2024 release date was pushed back to September 26, 2025, which felt like a bad omen for the latest Saw film. And now, it seems that Saw XI is DOA.
Greutert shared his feelings in a comment on a Reddit post about the cancellation. He wrote, “Let’s just say that this past year+ has been among the saddest and most frustrating of my life.”
Bloody Disgusting’s insider shared that if the franchise gets sold elsewhere, it’ll likely “start over.”
How do you feel about this Saw XI news? What do you think the franchise’s fate will be? Let us know over @DreadCentral on X, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Categorized:News
