A recent promo video announced that the release date for the next sequel in the Saw film franchise, Spiral, has been moved up one week earlier. Spiral: From the Book of Saw will be the ninth installment in the popular horror franchise, which began in 2004, and was co-created by big time filmmaker, James Wan. Spiral will star comedy legend, Chris Rock, who pitched the film, along with Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella, and more. 

Spiral will be the first Saw film in nearly four years, following a large seven year break between the previous two installments. The franchise, which is credited for bringing new life into the receding genre of slasher films, is known for both its gore and twisted (both in logic and in morality) plots. The first film is often regarded as the best in the entire franchise, which brought fresh air into the horror film landscape by not only providing the carnage, but also a well thought out and compelling storyline—something some critics and fans believed the genre had begun to lack. Due to its nearly decades-long continuance, Saw, as a whole, has developed a fairly convoluted plot, which some believe has let the franchise down slightly. While Spiral is highly anticipated, not much is known about the film, except that it will definitely take place in the world of the previous installments, likely with references to Jigsaw’s (the franchise’s original villain) previous murders. 

Related: Everything We Know About Chris Rock’s Saw Move Reboot

Stating “you’ve waited long enough,” the official Spiral Twitter account announced the film will be released on May 14, a change from its previous release date of May 21. The announcement was accompanied by a small promo video with stills from the film. Spiral, distributed by Lionsgate, will be releasing in theaters only. Check out the video below:

Upon the announcement of Spiral, many Saw fans were worried about the sequel. Some believed that the inclusion of Chris Rock was a possible sign that the film would focus too much on the comedy rather than the horror and gore, although Rock himself ensured this isn’t the case. Additionally, many are simply wondering how far and how well the film will tie into the previous films in the franchise, given that the original Jigsaw is dead, and the franchise has long exhausted his possibilities of apprentices. While there is, of course, no hint as to who will be behind the Spiral murders, the official synopsis hints to a potential Jigsaw copycat. 

Like many other films releasing this year, Spiral was originally pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic. However, it is not the only film to move its release date up a week after those previous setbacks, either. With the announcement of more films releasing throughout late spring and summer, it feels as though the life of moviegoers is beginning to return, somewhat, to normal. 

More: Coronavirus: Every Movie Delayed So Far

Source: Spiral