Things are moving swiftly with Saw XI. Not only was it announced hot on the heels of Saw X’s success. but its release date comes in under a year after its predecessor. But what we didn’t know was what Saw XI would be about? Another prequel? A sequel to the last prequel? Another reboot? Well, the answer may be a little clearer after the film’s producers recent discussions with SFX magazine.
Saw XI Story: Back to the Past or Back Into a Spiral?
Producer Oren Koules revealed some big ideas for the sequel, with a potential focus on continuing the story of Saw X. Some spoilers for that film follow.
“Cecilia is still alive, and Tobin and Shawnee are in a foreign country still. So that, to me, would be the natural place to take at least the next one.”
For those who’ve watched Saw X, Cecilia is the main antagonist of John Kramer’s prequel story, set between the first two movies in the series, as her fraudulent cancer cure angers the dying Jigsaw, who deals out deadly punishment in his signature gruesome way.
If Tobin Bell is to be involved heavily in a Saw story, another prequel makes sense, as canonically, his character John Kramer dies in Saw 3 so there’s not much room to wriggle out of narrative-wise (even if they kept him around via flashbacks in other entries).
A continuation seems even more likely when you take into consideration what fellow producer Mark Burg had to say about a potential Spiral: The Book of Saw follow up.
“Maybe one day we’ll come back to doing a sequel,” Burg said later in the same interview. “Chris Rock would love to do one, but our focus, because of the success and the response to Saw X, is Saw XI.”
At this time, it’s unknown if Tobin Bell is returning for Saw XI, but these words from the producers and the fast-approaching release date would suggest a decision has already been made there on the direction for the next entry.
Saw XI will be without the writing team for the last few films, as Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger recently confirmed they would not be returning for Saw XI.
Saw XI will head into theaters on September 27, 2024.
