Saw 10 is reportedly in development, even though the ninth entry in the franchise, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, hasn't even been released yet. The long-running horror franchise has become one of the most recognizable in film history. Despite varying degrees of quality with each release, the Saw movies have a built-in audience, thanks to the hit first entry directed by James Wan and starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Wannell, and Danny Glover. The latest entry, Spiral, finally releases in May, a full year after its initial planned release date.
Spiral came about thanks to a pitch from comedian Chris Rock, which imagined a reboot of the franchise in the spirit of the original movies. Rock stars in the movie alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella, which sees the men taking on a Jigsaw copycat killer. The footage and trailers for the movie definitely hint at Spiral representing some sort of return to form for the franchise, with the focus seemingly on slow-build suspense rather than the over-the-top gory approach of the last few movies in the franchise. And it seems the studio is confident in the movie's quality too.
A new production listing from Production Weekly (via Bloody Disgusting) reveals that Saw 10 is in development. The listing is for a Saw X, which is likely a working title rather than a final name for the movie, and says in addition to the regular production companies Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate, original director Wan's production company Atomic Monster is involved. There are no further details on the movie, but it is listed as actively in development, confirming it has been greenlit.
While it's not unusual for horror movies, which are generally made on a small budget and are almost guaranteed to make a profit, to get sequels greenlit early, this case is fairly unique. Spiral: From the Book of Saw may have been shot a long time ago, but due to the pandemic hasn't been released yet, and it would be assumed that the studio would wait to see how it is received before greenlighting a 10th Saw movie. However, they are clearly confident that Spiral's return to the franchise's roots will resonate with audiences to get to work on a sequel.
Of course, the movie might not be a direct sequel to Rock's new movie, though the assumption is it would be, considering the franchise was considered dead in the water before Rock pitched his soft reboot/sequel idea. It seems, then, that Rock may be back for Saw 10, if his character survives the events of Spiral: From The Book of Saw, and even if he's not, horror fans should be happy that the long-running franchise is continuing.
Source: Production Weekly (via Bloody Disgusting)
