The Saw franchise almost went in a completely different direction.
Jigsaw was directed by the Spierig Brothers and written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. The story is split into two timelines. The first centers on a group of strangers trapped inside a barn, where they are forced to play a series of brutal and deadly games. The second shows the authorities looking into a string of murders that are similar to the methods used by Jigsaw Killer, also known as John Kramer (Tobin Bell), despite his being dead.
Hannah Emily Anderson, who portrayed Eleanor Bonneville in 2017's Jigsaw (the eighth installment of the Saw movie series), recently revealed that she originally signed on for three movies. In an interview with The Direct, the actor revealed that the franchise had bigger plans for her character, which ultimately fell through.
At the end of Jigsaw, Eleanor survives the deadly games in the film and escapes in a truck alongside an unknown figure. The scene immediately sparked speculation among fans, many of whom believed the moment implied that the character could become the next Jigsaw or contribute in some way to Kramer’s legacy. However, the creative team never followed up on the cliffhanger in later installments of the hit horror films.
According to Anderson, neither she nor the rest of the cast knew exactly where the storyline was headed during production. She explained that there were discussions about continuing Eleanor’s arc across multiple sequels, but those movies were scrapped when the Saw franchise decided to explore new storylines instead of revisiting the events of Jigsaw.
No, they never revealed that to me. It's funny, though, originally, I had signed on to do three films, so there was a plan at some point to continue that storyline. And those two other films never materialized, so they went a different direction. I yeah, I don't know. I remember, like at the time on set, all of us kind of theorizing about who was in the car [in] that last moment. But I don't remember what the story was. I mean, my theory is, it's probably Logan, but, yeah, I don't know.
Instead of a continuation, Lionsgate released Spiral in 2021, a standalone movie starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. However, that specific installment was a major box office flop and poorly received by critics. And, as a result, the franchise returned to its roots and gave its loyal fans what they actually wanted with the release of Saw X, bringing back Bell as John.
Released in 2023, Saw X marks the tenth and most recent chapter of the franchise. The story takes place between the events of the original Saw and Saw II, following John as he travels to Mexico for an experimental medical treatment for his cancer. After discovering that the procedure is actually a scam, he decides to punish those involved.
Jigsaw and all the other Saw films can now be streamed on Netflix.
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Jigsaw
4/10
Release Date October 25, 2017
Runtime 91 minutes
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Matt Passmore
Logan Nelson
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Tobin Bell
John Kramer / Jigsaw
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Movie(s) Saw (2004), Saw 2 (2005), Saw 3 (2006), Saw 4 (2007), Saw 5 (2008), Saw 6 (2009), Saw 3D (2010), Jigsaw (2017), Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), Saw X (2023)
Created by James Wan
First Film Saw (2004)
Latest Film Saw X
Upcoming Films Saw XI
Cast Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Leigh Whannell, Donnie Wahlberg, Lyriq Bent
The Saw film franchise is an anthology of horror films centered around the Jigsaw Killer, a mastermind who crafts elaborate traps to test his victims' will to live. Victims, often morally flawed, are forced into gruesome games where they must inflict severe pain on themselves or others to survive.
English (US) ·