Can Lionsgate Successfully Relaunch ‘Saw’ On Third Try?

Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures just announced yet another Saw movie. An untitled tenth installment of the Jigsaw-and-friends horror series has been slated for October 27, 2023, which I guess means they learned not to try to open one of these in the early summer season. After all, as they’ve been trumpeting since Saw IV in 2007, if it’s Halloween, it must be Saw! This will be the third attempt in six years at reviving Lionsgate’s flagship horror IP, whose seven years, every year, no excuses run was instrumental in helping the mini-major become the most major of the minis.

I’ve often called them “The House That Jigsaw Built (And Madea Helped Maintain),” and I guess if you’re not going to spend more than $20 million, there’s no harm in trying again. Saw broke out as a Sundance sensation in 2004 only to become a buzzy hit that October with $56 million domestic from an $18 million debut and $103 million worldwide on a $1 million budget. It launched the careers of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. Moreover, it gave Hollywood its first new iconic onscreen boogie man since Scream’s Ghostface or (since it was a different murderer every time in those films) Tony Todd’s Candyman.

Since Kramer died in Saw III and the mantle passed entirely onto Costas Manylor’s Mark Hoffman (promoted from Saw III cameo player to the lead baddie in Saw V, VI and VII) as Jigsaw’s preferred apprentice. As fans know, Kramer apparently had a whole-ass internship program before he succumbed to cancer. While the franchise began as a Rube Goldberg ‘What would you do?’ grindhouse sensation, the sequels quickly doubled down on onscreen gore, elaborate traps and ridiculously convoluted continuity. If ever we could call a horror franchise a soap opera, it was the ‘No, wait, this guy was secretly helping Jigsaw the whole time!” Saw films.

However, Saw V came off as cheap and DVD-worthy, so the inexplicably fantastic Saw VI (Jigsaw versus the health insurance industry) paid the price. It opened against Paranormal Activity in October of 2009 in what amounted to a ‘king is dead, long live the new king’ moment for theatrical horror. Saw: The Final Chapter hastily wrapped up the core continuity in 2010, but nostalgia and reliance on IP led to what is now three attempts to goose the series back to life. Jigsaw was a frankly lifeless offering in October 2017 that retconned Kramer’s backstory with three new six degrees of separation connections.

It still grossed over $100 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, so we eventually got the potentially inspired Spiral: From the Book of Saw. They brought back Darren Lynn Bousman (who directed Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV, making him the Nicolas Myer of the series) and agreed to a pitch from Saw fan Chris Rock. Spiral took the series back to its ‘Se7en with grindhouse carnage’ roots, even if its emphasis on police procedural elements and an ‘ACAB’ subtext wasn’t all that different from prior installments. Spiral has its charms and was better than the last two films.

It was also the only big horror movie to bomb ($41 million on a $20 million budget) in the summer of 2021 while A Quiet Place part II, The Conjuring 3, The Forever Purge and others pulled as-expected theatrical revenues. So, can Saw truly live again on the third reboot try? Or will we get a repeat of Terminator where two halfhearted relaunches lead to a better one that gets ignored due to audiences finally admitting defeat? Kevin Greutert will direct, having helmed the best installment (Saw VI) and one of the worst installments (Saw VII, which he directed due to contractual obligations after Paramount reportedly tried to poach him for Paranormal Activity 2).

I have no idea how the film will play out or whether A) Tobin Bell will be more than a glancing cameo, B) the likes of Hoffman and the various new villains from Jigsaw and Spiral will show up to play and C) Jigsaw will go to space. Bell’s marquee antagonist hasn’t been a significant player since Saw VI, which was also the last time we got an exceptionally good one of these. It’ll be 14 years since SAW VI when this new Saw opens in 2023 and six years since Jigsaw first tried to relaunch the brand. The first seven Saw films opened between 2004 and 2010, becoming the definitive horror franchise of the 2000s.

Saw is now one of those franchises trying to come back longer than it was initially popular. I’m less cranky about this as these are not expensive films, and I have a skewed fondness for the series. My first date with my eventual wife was the opening night of Saw II, her choice, and we spent the next five years celebrating our meet-up anniversary by seeing the next Saw sequel. I hope they can pull it off on the third try, and such success will be rewarded commercially. If not, Johnny K might have some choice words about the definition of insanity.