It's a tough pill to swallow for fans of the Saw franchise, but it looks like Saw XI is facing an indefinite delay. Originally slated for a fall release, the much-anticipated 11th installment has been officially stalled, and won't be hitting the screens as planned.
According to Saw XI screenwriter Patrick Melton, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the delay isn't due to creative issues. "We haven’t heard anything since May," Melton said. "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 a draft of the script back in spring 2024, nearly a year ago. The holdup, as Melton explains, stems from "inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate. They just can’t quite get on the same page."
The project initially had frequent franchise director Kevin Gruetert attached back in December 2023, with a planned September 2024 release. However, fans were devastated when the film's release was pushed back an entire year to September 2025. Many hoped this delay would serve the story better, especially following the success of Saw X. The 10th film revitalized the franchise, earning over $120 million worldwide during its theatrical run, which naturally spurred excitement and expectations for Saw XI.
Adding to the disappointment, Saw XI was poised to tackle a relevant topic. While specific plot details remain under wraps, Melton hinted that the film's narrative would echo themes similar to Saw VI, which he co-wrote with Dunstan and was directed by Gruetert. In Saw VI, John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), targets 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, adapting them to today's world, but it seems we might never get that chance.
