Sources close to the production claim that Saw XI, which was supposed to reach theatres in September, has been cancelled
As soon as Saw X, the tenth entry in the Saw franchise (you can read our review HERE), was released in September of 2023, franchise producers were already talking about the potential of a Saw XI. The official announcement came that December, along with a release date: September 27, 2024… but then it was said that the producers and Lionsgate had decided to take a little extra time with this one, Saw XI was pushed back to September 26, 2025. Now, our friends at Bloody Disgusting are reporting that we might not see another sequel in the Saw franchise at all, as a source “close to the production” has informed them that Saw XI has been cancelled!
According to this source, “It’s totally dead. It’s 100% over. Almost a year now.” The source added, “Everything went sideways in January 2024 … the producers started fighting.” One producer attempted to plow forward with the film, but the other put up roadblocks that brought the whole thing to a halt and no one at Lionsgate could smooth over the disagreement.
Saw X director Kevin Greutert was signed on to return to the helm for Saw XI. Greutert edited the first five Saw movies, and did the same on Jigsaw. He made his feature directorial debut with Saw VI and signed on to direct Paranormal Activity 2 after that. That movie was scheduled to be released on the same day as the seventh Saw movie, Saw 3D – so Lionsgate decided to remove Saw V director David Hackl from Saw 3D and replace him with Greutert, stealing him away from Paramount and Paranormal Activity 2. The Paranormal sequel ended up being directed by Tod Williams and was released the week before Saw 3D. Between Saw 3D and Saw X, Greutert directed the genre films Jessabelle, Visions, and Jackals. For Saw XI, Greutert would have been working from a screenplay by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who previously wrote Saw parts 4 through 7 (with Thomas Fenton also getting a story credit on Saw IV).
Saw franchise stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, and Costas Mandylor were expected to return for the sequel, with Tobin Bell locked in as a sure thing since his character John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw, would be in the lead, as he was in Saw X. Bloody Disgusting isn’t the only outlet reporting trouble behind the scenes on Saw XI; earlier this year, Scream magazine reported that unnamed sources had told them the project was in deep trouble due to financial troubles and Bell’s age. “We’re also hearing that the advancing age of series star Tobin Bell is also a concern. Bell, who has played John Kramer in 9 of the 10 Saw installments, recently turned 81. We’re hearing that concerns have been raised that Bell is no longer up to the physical demands of carrying a Saw picture, having faced serious difficulties during the previous film.“
Are you disappointed to hear that Saw XI might be cancelled? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
