The “Saw” franchise is apparently hanging on by a thread due to infighting and disagreements between producers and the studio with no clear path forward for “Saw XI”…
The “Saw” franchise has set dozens of deadly traps over the years but it appears disagreements between producers and studio executives may be the cause of death for this beloved horror series.
Numerous reports surfaced on Monday that the “Saw” franchise was in peril after plans for “Saw XI’ were delayed following an initial announcement that the sequel was supposed to be released in 2024 before then being pushed back to 2025. Now that internal battle over the future of the “Saw” franchise might actually kill any plans for further films.
“It’s totally dead,” a source told Bloody Disgusting about the plans for “Saw XI.” “It’s 100% over. Almost a year now.”
Plans for “Saw XI” got off the ground after “Saw X” revitalized the franchise with a prequel of sorts that traveled back in time to tell a story featuring the return of the iconic Jigsaw aka John Kramer with the movie taking place between the events of the original “Saw” and “Saw 2.” The film ended up earning $112 million at the box office and it didn’t take Lionsgate long to order a sequel with plans to rush it back into theaters basically one year later in 2024.
Veteran “Saw” franchise writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan were hired to pen the screenplay for the latest sequel with Kevin Greutert set to direct. The writing duo turned in the initial draft of the screenplay but then things went quiet as far as actually getting the go ahead for production.
“We haven’t heard anything since May,” Melton told The Hollywood Reporter. “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 hinted at the topic in “Saw XI” was a “timely” subject that felt similar in tone to another “Saw” film he previously worked on — “Saw VI,” where Jigsaw went after a greedy healthcare executive. That film recently saw new life following the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson after he was gunned down in an assassination in broad daylight in New York this past December.
While Melton didn’t reveal any plot details for “Saw XI,” he was excited to make the film but now there’s no telling if he’ll ever get to tackle the subject matter in his screenplay.
“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,” Melton said. “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.”
Unfortunately, Melton says problems between the producers and the studio at Lionsgate have affectively stalled the project and with nearly a year passed without any progression, it seems unlikely this version of the “Saw” franchise is going to be resurrected.
“The reason it’s held up is just, there’s inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate,” Melton said. “They just can’t quite get on the same page.”
Considering how much time has passed without any movement forward, “Saw XI” might be dead before it ever gets made and that might also seal the deal for future “Saw” movies. While there’s always a chance that the franchise gets sold to a different studio or production company, there’s no telling what might happen next now that the latest sequel is effectively done.
