A new TV spot for Spiral: From the Book of Saw has been released online — revealing that the Jigsaw Killer copycat has an entirely different motive for his crimes. The original Saw was released in 2004 and was created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell. The blood-spattered story told of a serial killer - Tobin Bell's John Kramer - who snared his victims in deadly booby traps designed to test their morality and survival instincts. Critically reviled but embraced by horror fans worldwide, it spawned sequels all the way through to Jigsaw in 2017.
By 2019, however, it was confirmed that the saga would be taken in a new direction. Put in motion by Chris Rock, the installment was written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. Directed by original helmer, Darren Lynn Bousman, Spiral has already been described as "reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand". Also signing on to star, Rock was confirmed to play Detective Ezekiel Banks. Alongside his rookie partner, William Schenk (Max Minghella), Banks becomes embroiled in the twisted games of a copycat killer. Having already become one of the most anticipated horror movies of 2021, it was announced that Samuel L. Jackson, Marisol Nichols, and Zoie Palmer would also star.
In a new TV spot shared by Saw Net, the new killer's very specific motives are emphasized. Rather than merely going after those deemed ungrateful in some way for their lives, according to Rock's character, "he's targeting dirty cops". He also later reiterated that point by stating that the killer's actions were sparked by "something personal". A new poster highlighting Detective Ezekiel Banks was also unveiled via ComicBook. Check out both below:
The move has already seemed like a smart one. Firstly, it allowed Spiral to avoid Jigsaw's mistakes by gifting this new killer some motivations that are entirely their own. As such, it lent itself to the idea that Spiral will be less a direct sequel but an exploration of a new era within the same world. Rather than directly furthering Jigsaw's legacy, the new villain beneath the mask will simply borrow and reflect his iconic methods. To that end, the TV spot highlighted how Spiral will indeed honor the past while also, equally, being entirely its own thing.
Simultaneously, it begged the question as to how much fans might view this new killer as a villain. Though the modus operandi is undoubtedly horrific, the reasoning behind them had a kind of skewed, almost-understandable rationality to them. Therefore, like Jigsaw, the copycat could be viewed more as a twisted vigilante — thus making them infinitely more compelling.
Secondly, for a variety of reasons based on the real world, the idea of punishing police officers that are corrupt or otherwise overstep the mark will no doubt be a resonant one. The revelation has also added to the intrigue already amassed by the first Spiral: From the Book of Saw trailer — which revealed that Jackson's character (Ezekiel's esteemed father, Marcus) would be placed into a trap. Equally, Ezekiel himself will find himself trapped at some stage in the film and the above poster almost emphasized him being in the bullseye of a target. Could it be because their investigation is merely getting in the way of the killer's plans or does he have shady secrets of his own? Whatever the case, the theory-crafting will likely go into overdrive in the next few weeks leading to Spiral: From the Book of Saw's official release.
