Summary

Saw fans may have to wait indefinitely for Saw XI due to disputes and delays.
Lionsgate faced setbacks with the failure of Borderlands and is struggling with the next horror production.
Writers of Saw XI are facing radio silence from Lionsgate, indicating internal managerial issues.

Saw fans will be disappointed to hear that the next installment in the franchise may not see the Silver Screen any time soon, or perhaps, indefinitely. Disputes and behind-the-scenes disagreements have delayed the next sequel, Saw XI.

Lionsgate has been struggling somewhat recently with its film line-up. One of their largest blockbuster outings, Borderlands, was a critical and financial disaster for the company. The largest big studio flop of 2024 went all in with a show-stopping cast and a budget of $110-120 million but only saw a return of $33 million. Lionsgate quietly shuffled the film off to streaming platforms very quickly after its catastrophic theatrical release. Now, the company is suffering more setbacks and delays with its latest horror production.

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The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Saw XI's writers have been undergoing a period of radio silence from Lionsgate. The creators of the script, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, handed in a draft of the film's screenplay in 2024, and have been patiently waiting for a response ever since. When considering that Saw films used to be turned around in the space of a year, this stifled communication within the production team is a bad sign for the longevity of the franchise. Melton confirmed that:

"We haven’t heard anything since May."

Will Jigsaw And The Saw Franchise Return Any Time Soon?

According to the writers, the internal issues seem to stem from the top brass: "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." If a script is ready to go, what's currently holding the studio back? Saw has not always had a first-rate critical reception, but the films have consistently proven that they are box-office cash cows, guaranteed to draw an audience, which is something Lionsgate needs right now.

Saw X (2023) released to critical and financial acclaim. The film took place between Saw I (2004) and Saw II (2005) and saw John Kramer (Tobin Bell) back in the leading role as its main killer. Jigsaw devised a scenario to punish a group of phony medical professionals who were regularly defrauding cancer patients. He became aware of them after being tricked into a fake operation to remove his tumor. The writers of Saw XI are trying to recreate X's social commentary, exploring the pitfalls of the US healthcare industry. XI is supposed to "have a very timely story in it", reflecting much of the current discontent in America towards private insurance companies. In that sense, the sequel will have similarities to Saw VI (2009), during which Jigsaw goes after health insurance executives. Melton wants to reconnect audiences with their morbid curiosity towards Kramer's work:

"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."

Saw has had a lengthy and complicated storyline, but that's never really been the draw for fans of the series. Audiences sit down to watch Saw films regardless of whether Kramer is alive, seen in flashbacks, or working mysteriously through other characters. The franchise has a loyal, returning fandom that will continue to show up in support of these movies. Even if the Saw series is running out of steam and about to see its final days, the franchise should, at the very least, get a proper send-off with the release of Saw XI.

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