Every time a new Saw sequel was announced during the franchise’s heyday, the general response was an apathetic shrug more than anything. Sure, diehard fans would rush to their local theater on opening night to see what kind of gruesome traps Jigsaw had in store for his victims this time around, but for the majority of people, it was just the latest in a long line of horror brands being run into the ground by the law of diminishing returns.
However, curiosity was piqued and interest increased tenfold in the latest reboot when Chris Rock attached himself to the project. Hardly the first name that comes to mind when you think of the ninth installment in a low budget horror series, the 55 year-old didn’t just sign on to star but agreed to be the main creative driving force behind the project as leading man, executive producer and developer of the story.
The hype levels were raised even further when it was announced that Samuel L. Jackson had also boarded the cast, giving the re-titled Spiral perhaps the two most exciting stars in the franchise’s history. And in a recent interview, longtime series director Darren Lynn Bousman teased that fans aren’t ready for what the reboot has in store for them.
“The Saw franchise is such a well-oiled machine. I can’t even explain the nostalgia of being able to do another one now. But this movie is so unique and so different than what I think people expect and are ready for. That’s what made it so exciting to get back to the franchise. I read the script and I thought, ‘Holy sh*t! This is actually really good’. It didn’t feel like a sequel at all. It feels like a Saw movie and it has some very Saw elements in it but it’s definitely its own unique thing.”
The marketing campaign was just starting to kick up a notch when the Coronavirus pandemic hit, and Spiral ultimately ended up being delayed by an entire year. When the movie finally arrives in May 2021, though, the presence of Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson will have drastically widened the appeal, and many more casual viewers will be keen to check it out alongside the veteran fans of the Saw franchise.