Usually, it's Jigsaw who diligently plays with the fate of others, but this time, it's him who's being played with. Why exactly has "Saw XI" been shelved, and what about the future of the franchise?
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| Image Credit: Lionsgate |
"Saw" is one of the few modern horror series still diligently running, while other horror series attempts like "Happy Death Day" or "Creep" usually don't make it past the second installment. But Jigsaw seems to have been hit hard, too, because there won't be a "Saw" movie this year—and perhaps in the near future. But is there some good news hidden behind this bad news?
"Saw XI": From the lion's den straight into production hell
It's a strange circumstance: The plan was actually for horror fans to happily sit in theaters this September and watch what "Saw XI" has to offer, but that's just pie in the sky without any basis in reality, because one thing is clear: "Saw XI" will not be released during this year's horror season. This seems odd at first glance – after all, the tenth installment in the series recently grossed $112 million worldwide on a budget of $18.3 million. But as industry magazine "Deadline" reports, the film will not be released this year, as the franchise's producers and distributor "Lionsgate" apparently do not share the same views regarding the plans for the eleventh installment. The script has even already been submitted, and Kevin Greutert, the director of the tenth installment, would have returned. But the rights holders, Twisted Pictures, have other plans for the franchise – they've sold it to none other than Hollywood's currently largest horror studio.
"Saw XI": Flowery Times for Jigsaw?
Jason Ferus (does the name reflect that?) Blum and his "Blumhouse Studios" have been active in the horror film market for almost two decades, enjoying both major and minor successes – both financially and critically. The same can be said for the "Saw" films; it's almost a miracle that the films aren't included in the studio's mixed portfolio. But it seems that Blumhouse has either tasted blood or smelled money, because 50% of the rights – specifically, the share held by Twisted Pictures – now belong to Hollywood's horror guru. A perfectly understandable financial decision, after all, the "Saw" franchise has grossed over $1 billion worldwide... Even if that's not a huge challenge with 10 films. But what will Blum and Lionsgate do now that they jointly own the rights?
The mouse's out thanks to "Blumhouse"? This is the status of "Saw XI."
It's kind of funny: The fact that Lionsgate disagreed with the production conditions of "Saw XI" implies that even this series undergoes a kind of internal quality control – one doesn't even want to imagine what a "Saw" film would look like without this control. The horror. Jokes aside, the question remains as to what happens next: not in terms of content, because that was the greatest strength of the "Saw" series, but in general. Will "Saw XI" be released sometime soon? The bad news first: This year, there will definitely be no more "torture porn" in cinemas around the world – certainly none that would be directed at Jigsaw. And honestly, next year can also be ruled out as a release date, as even the production of a "Saw" film takes time. However, since Blumhouse is known for its fast production speed, it's safe to assume that an eleventh "Saw" could be released in 2027 – assuming production actually starts, since there hasn't been a green light for an eleventh installment yet.
Source: Deadline
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