A new image of iconic horror doll Billy the Puppet reimagines one of the key figures of the Saw franchise as a buff and disturbing creature. The horror series centers on serial killer John Kramer, better known as Jigsaw, as he traps people in demented tests and games in an effort to rehabilitate them and help them see the value of life. The franchise began with the 2003 Saw short film co-written by Leigh Whannell and James Wan and directed by the latter.
Quickly becoming a box office success upon its release, grossing nearly $104 million against a $1.2 million budget, Saw has been one of the biggest series in the horror genre for the better part of the past decade. Initially coming to a close in 2010 with Saw 3D, four films after Wan and Whannell had departed as the writers behind the franchise, Lionsgate revived it in 2017 with Jigsaw. Looking to capitalize on its success and with a story treatment from star and fan Chris Rock, the studio is gearing up for the ninth installment in the series with the forthcoming Spiral: From the Book of Saw while also reportedly developing a tenth film.
The official Twitter account for Spiral has revealed a disturbing image of a beefed-up iteration of Billy the Puppet riding a larger version of his iconic tricycle. The post comes amidst an amusing tug of war between those running the account and a username "Saw Quotes" who claims to have access to both the Twitter account and a computer station for the film complete with a full copy of the project. The other account is teasing the studio with games much like that of Jigsaw to test the devotion of the Saw fanbase. Check out the Billy the Puppet image below:
Billy the Puppet has had quite the interesting history throughout the world of film and television in the 18 years since his debut in the Saw short film. He has been parodied and spoofed in countless projects, including Scary Movie 4, but has also reappeared as a more menacing figure in Whannell and Wan's works outside of the franchise, including Dead Silence, Upgrade, Insidious, and The Invisible Man. Despite the regular doll's already creepy design, there's no denying the beefed-up version of the character adds another layer of menace to his terror, albeit only if he puts on some pants.
The battle between the owners of the official film account and "Saw Quotes" seems to be an elaborate joke, as a subsequent tweet from the Spiral account gives proper credit for the image to artist Jason Ebeyer. That being said, it wasn't a bad plan to drum up some attention for Spiral: From the Book of Saw as it's only a week out from its long-awaited theatrical release. Now audiences will just have to wait and see how their theories will play out for the film's story and if something more terrifying comes along to help eliminate this image from their minds.
Source: Spiral/Twitter
