Saw: Legacy has had its title changed to Jigsaw. Nobody could ever accused the Saw franchise of not being prolific and to date, there have been seven installments that rigidly adhere to the law of diminishing returns. The series centers upon Tobin Bell's murderous John Kramer who, after contracting cancer, decides to teach ungrateful people the true value of life by placing them in increasingly ridiculous fatal situations and making them work to be set free.
Although there have been several occasions where the film series was supposed to have ended, new movies keep coming and the latest is set to be directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. The story will reportedly take place ten years after the demise of the original Jigsaw - when a new spree of similar murders begins - and on scripting duties are Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg.
Lionsgate had always stressed that "Saw: Legacy" was a working title and that eventually the movie's genuine name would be revealed and that has now been confirmed (via Bloody Disgusting) as Jigsaw. The eighth offering in the franchise is rated R (obviously) and will be released on October 27th, with the project currently in the post-production stage.
Interestingly, Jigsaw was the original title of James Wan's first smash hit Saw movie, which triggered the whole Gore-nography genre. Reusing the name for this eighth film implies that the franchise intends to return to its roots and offer something more in line with the tense, psychological horror of the debut movie. The fact that this is the first installment to move away from the numbered title systen is also indicative that the franchise intends to go in a different direction.
To be completely honest, the last thing cinema fans have been asking for is another Saw film. After a critically-lauded and commercially lucrative debut offering, Lionsgate quickly took the franchise in a money-spinning direction that placed all the emphasis on crazy murders, made a mess of the narrative and rapidly declined in overall quality. Subsequently, anticipation for this movie isn't likely to be particularly high.
Having said that, the initial signs seem to indicate that Lionsgate will be attempting to reinvent the Saw story with Jigsaw - and although its not clear how the new movie will incorporate Tobin Bell's character or whether the new murders will be the work of yet another acolyte, it does at least appear as if fans might be served up more than just another turgid and bland horror movie.
NEXT: Tobin Bell is Returning for Jigsaw
Source: Bloody Disgusting
