One of the most enduring horror franchises of recent years may be back yet again and soon, as a 'conversation' is reportedly underway about making Saw 9 aka. a sequel to last year's Jigsaw. Scary films were big news in 2017, with the massive success of movies like Get Out and IT. Despite earning mixed to negative reviews, Jigsaw also made a very solid profit, and a continuation of the twisted saga now seems to be on the cards again.

The original Saw was released in 2004 and was created by James Wan (The Conjuring) and Leigh Whannell (Insidious). The blood-spattered story told of a serial killer - John Kramer, played by Tobin Bell - who snares his victims in deadly booby traps that were designed to test their morality and survival instincts. A huge hit, it became a global phenomena and spawned sequels that were released at Halloween every year from 2005 until 2010. Although almost always critically derided by mainstream media, each film was eagerly anticipated by fans, until the 'final' 7th film (Saw 3D) was released in 2010. However Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures eventually released Jigsaw in 2017, which continued the story once again. Directed by the Daybreakers co-directors the Spierig Brothers, there has been no news regarding any further sequels to the revived franchise since Jigsaw left theaters.

RELATED: Jigsaw Was Made As A Thriller, Not A Horror Movie

Now Bloody Disgusting is reporting that a Saw 9 may be nearing the development stage. There is apparently a 'conversation' ongoing at Twisted Pictures in order to make this a reality. In addition to that, it is said that the Jigsaw co-directors are not going to be returning to helm the new film, with a decision yet to be made on that front. It would be safe to guess that if the report is accurate, Bell will be involved at some point, having appeared in every Saw film to date.

It should be stressed that this is not an 'official' statement by the studio and has yet to be confirmed, but it's certainly very feasible and quite likely to happen. Despite Jigsaw earning the second worst opening for a Saw movie and unflattering reviews, it has since gone on to garner a worldwide gross of over $102m from a budget of just $10m. With a franchise thought to have been possibly 'dead', this shows that the interest is still there, and that another film is almost guaranteed to be profitable again, especially if some of the issues raised with Jigsaw are dealt with.

Although some scenes and plot-twists were criticised for being derivative of previous Saw films, the finale of Jigsaw does allow the saga to continue pretty much seamlessly into new territory. Rather than repeat previous scenarios and traps, some fans have called for previous surviving characters - such as Cary Elwes as Dr Lawrence Gordon - to make an appearance in the storyline again. Even dead characters can be revived by flashback, as constantly proven by John Kramer. As this is merely a rumor at the moment, it will be interesting to see if it develops further and whether we really can expect to see Saw 9 at theaters during Halloween in the future.

MORE: The Complete Saw Movie Guide & Jigsaw Timeline

More on Saw 9 as it develops.

Source: Bloody Disgusting