It's hard to believe, but the Saw franchise is hitting pause. The much-anticipated Saw XI, which was slated for a fall release, has officially been stalled. This delay isn't due to creative differences, but rather managerial issues. Patrick Melton, the screenwriter for Saw XI, shared with The Hollywood Reporter, "We haven’t heard anything since May. 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."
Melton and his writing partner, Marcus Dunstan, submitted their script draft back in spring 2024, nearly a year ago. The delay stems from disagreements between the producers and Lionsgate, as Melton explained: "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."
Originally, frequent franchise director Kevin Gruetert was set to helm the project, with a planned release in September 2024. However, fans were disappointed when the film's release was pushed back to September 2025. The hope was that this extra time would enhance the story, especially following the success of Saw X. The 10th installment revitalized the franchise, earning over $120 million globally, which naturally fueled excitement for Saw XI.
Adding to the disappointment, Saw XI was poised to tackle a relevant contemporary issue. Although plot details remain under wraps, Melton hinted that the film's narrative would echo themes from Saw VI, which he co-wrote with Dunstan and was directed by Gruetert. In Saw VI, John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), targeted 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 told THR. He elaborated, "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 be fascinating to see the Saw franchise revisit these themes in today's context, but unfortunately, it looks like we might never get to see it.
