I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but it’s game over for the Saw franchise, at least for now. It has been officially confirmed that the upcoming Saw XI has been stalled and will not be released in the fall as originally planned.
However, this delay isn’t due to creative differences. “We haven’t heard anything since May,” Saw XI screenwriter Patrick Melton revealed to 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.”
According to the publication, Melton and his writing partner Marcus Dunstan submitted a draft of the script in the spring of 2024, which is now approaching a year ago. Melton elaborated: “The reason it’s held up is just, there’s inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate. They just can’t quite get on the same page.”
Frequent franchise director Kevin Gruetert was attached to the project back in December 2023, when it was given a September 2024 release date. However, fans were devastated when the film was delayed by an entire year, with a new release date set for September 2025. Franchise enthusiasts had hoped this delay was for the betterment of the story, especially following the box office success of Saw X. The 10th installment revitalized the franchise, earning over $120 million globally during its theatrical run, which naturally spurred executives to push forward with Saw XI.
What’s more disappointing is that the 11th installment was poised to tackle a timely topic. While plot details for Saw XI remain under wraps, Melton likened its narrative to that of Saw VI, which he co-wrote with Dunstan and was directed by Gruetert. In Saw VI, lead character John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), seeks vengeance on a group of health insurance executives.
“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 shared with THR. “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.” It would have been fascinating to see the Saw franchise revisit these themes, considering current global issues — but unfortunately, it seems we may never get to see how they would execute it differently.
