Like its main antagonist Jigsaw, the Saw franchise just can’t seem to actually die. After a seven film run from 2004 to 2010 – a film every year – it seemed audiences were finally burned out on the series that popularised the term “torture porn”. An eighth instalment, Jigaw, hit cinemas in 2017 but a lukewarm box office run meant it left without making much of an impact.
That brings us to Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, which stars Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella, which was originally set to arrive last May before COVID-19 put a stop to that. That film is now due out next month, and it won’t surprise many to know that a tenth Saw instalment is already in development ahead of Spiral‘s release.
Titled Saw X – of course – the film will reportedly be produced by James Wan, who has always been heavily involved in the series. Little else is known about the project at this point, so maybe we have to see Spiral to get some answers.
Spiral has been sold as a fresh take on the franchise, as it seems to be closer to a crime thriller than the franchise’s usual horror schtick. It follows brash detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his rookie partner, each working in the shadow of a veteran police officer, as they take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past.
We’ll see if this “fresh” take on the franchise is actually the case. The addition of actual stars such as Jackson and Rock is interesting, but we’ll see if Spiral is actually that different from the eight films to precede it.
Either way, it seems Lionsgate are happy enough with the finished product that they’re moving forward with another Saw film. It’s possible it’s a direct Spiral sequel, or maybe they just want to get Jigsaw back in the game. We’ll have to wait and see. Spiral may give us some of the answers when it arrives on Friday, May 14.
#Peace.Love.Saw
