Lionsgate wants to play another game. The studio made a surprise announcement of “Saw XI” on Monday afternoon, along with plans for the 11th entry in the long-running horror franchise to hit theaters just nine months from now.
The project was confirmed through an Instagram post, which feature roman numerals against a spooky “Saw” backdrop spelling out a Sept. 27, 2024 release date. It was shared alongside a simple caption: “The game continues.”
Setting a date for next fall is a pretty astounding feat, as the last franchise entry, “Saw X,” hit theaters just over two months ago on Sept. 29. That represents a quick turnaround — less than one year — for the franchise. It’s not an achievement that the series hasn’t notched before though. After the first “Saw” took off, “Saw II” was quickly greenlit and just barely hit the benchmark, hitting theaters 364 days after the original. In fact, each following “Saw” entry made it to release less than a year after its respective predecessor up to the seventh installment, “Saw 3D,” which had to settle for coming 371 days after “Saw VI.” After that, the franchise took a seven-year hiatus before the 2017 revival “Jigsaw.”
“Saw X” put up a strong performance at the box office, grossing $53 million in North America and $107 million globally against a $13 million production budget.
Lionsgate did not announce any details regarding who is involved with “Saw XI.” A representative for the studio was not immediately available for comment.
The tenth “Saw” featured franchise star Tobin Bell returning to the role of John Kramer, the serial torture-contraption crafter and arguable self-improvement guru Jigsaw. The 81-year-old actor, who first appeared in the original “Saw” in 2004, took on a lead role for the latest entry, which took place between the first and second installments of the series and explored Kramer’s adventures below the border seeking treatment for a brain tumor — and striking back against a group of medical con artists. Shawnee Smith also returned as Jigsaw’s apprentice Amanda Young. Kevin Greutert, who began with “Saw” as an editor before helming the sixth and seventh entries, directed the feature.
“There’s a version that picks up immediately where this one leaves off, but it’s way too early to tell,” Greutert said, discussing potential sequel plans on The Director’s Cut – A DGA Podcast just three weeks ago. With plans to hit theaters nine months from now, it’s probably not so early anymore.
