Spiral: From The Book of Saw isn’t even out yet, but Lionsgate is believed to already be developing a landmark tenth entry in the horror franchise. After Jigsaw failed to properly revitalize the series back in 2017, Spiral will pivot things in a fresh direction, with the added bonus of featuring two bonafide stars in Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. And it seems the studio has enough faith in it to press ahead with a sequel straight away.
Production Weekly has revealed that Lionsgate is in active development on Saw X. That’s all we know at the moment, though, apart from the fact that James Wan’s Atomic Monster production company is attached to it. This has got fans wondering whether Wan, the franchise’s original director, could be returning to take a more active role in proceedings for this milestone entry in the series. However, he’s been credited as an exec producer on all of the films so far, so this isn’t necessarily the case.
Given the twist-obsessed nature of the Saw universe, it’s difficult to say right now whether Saw X will follow on directly from Spiral, with either Rock or Jackson returning, or if it’ll be more of a standalone sequel. In any case, Lionsgate must be confident enough from its pre-release buzz that it’s going to go down well with fans and critics to warrant them immediately moving forward with a tenth entry in the saga.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Death of Me) and written by Jigsaw scribes Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, Spiral also stars Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols. Here’s the official synopsis, which teases Rock and Jackson’s characters investigating a copycat killer who’s replicating the grisly games of the original Jigsaw (Tobin Bell).
“A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in SPIRAL, the terrifying new chapter from the book of SAW. Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.”
After a year-long delay, Spiral: From the Book of Saw will finally release this May 14th.
