"Saw XI Delayed: Lionsgate and Producer Disputes"

I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but it's game over for the Saw franchise, at least for now. It has been confirmed that the eagerly awaited Saw XI has hit a major roadblock and will not be released this fall as initially planned.

This delay isn't due to creative differences. “We haven’t heard anything since May,” Saw XI screenwriter Patrick Melton told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s stalled at a managerial level. It has nothing to do with the creative or anything else. There’s higher-level things at play.”

According to the publication, Melton and his writing partner Marcus Dunstan submitted a draft of the script in spring 2024, nearly a year ago. Melton elaborated: “The reason it’s held up is just, there’s inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate. They just can’t quite get on the same page.”

Frequent franchise director Kevin Gruetert was attached to the project back in December 2023, when it was slated for a September 2024 release. However, fans were devastated when the film was pushed back an entire year, rescheduling for September 2025. Diehard fans hoped this delay would enhance the story, especially following the box office triumph of Saw X. The 10th installment revitalized the franchise, earning over $120 million globally during its theatrical run, which naturally spurred executives to greenlight Saw XI.

What's even more disappointing is that the 11th installment was poised to tackle a timely issue. While specific plot details for Saw XI remain under wraps, Melton likened its narrative to that of Saw VI, which he co-wrote with Dunstan and was directed by Gruetert. In Saw VI, lead character John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), enacts revenge on a group of health insurance executives.

“Saw XI may or may not be made, but we have a very timely story in it, and I hope it gets made just because of that,” Melton shared with THR.

“It taps into the same themes of Saw VI, where you’re a citizen, you feel angry and frustrated with something, you feel like you can’t do anything, and John Kramer’s going to do it.” It would be fascinating to see the Saw franchise revisit these themes and explore them in a new light, given today's global context — but unfortunately, it seems we may never get to see this vision realized.