Summary

The future of the Saw franchise is unknown, as the next sequel has been pulled from Lionsgate's release schedule.
Saw and Hostel revolutionized violent cinema, capturing attention with their gory content despite often harsh criticism.
Hostel is returning with a new TV series from creator Eli Roth and starring lauded actor Paul Giamatti.

The Saw franchise has faced delays with its next installment, but the perfect horror replacement is making an unexpected return in a shocking new way. While Saw fans may have to wait for news of what's next, Eli Roth's Hostel franchise is coming back for another installment, with an announced cast and new format.

The Saw and Hostel films hit theaters around the same time, sparking a resurgence of violent cinema. The success of each franchise led to the release of numerous sequels, with Saw vastly outweighing Hostel's numbers. However, they captured a similar audience, and after being dormant for over a decade, Hostel is making its return.

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By Matthew Wilkinson

The Future Of The Saw Franchise Is In Limbo

Is Saw XI Going To Happen?

The Saw franchise has spawned ten films, following the serial killer known as Jigsaw and his apprentices. The movies featured intense violence and gore, putting off some viewers, but captured many with their twisty plots and unique traps that each new victim found themselves in. After the seventh installment, Saw 3D, in 2010, the franchise took a 7-year break before returning with a prequel, Jigsaw. Saw struggled to find its footing, but took bold swings, with Spiral, which originated with Chris Rock, becoming a connected spinoff set within the universe.

Saw X was released in 2023, with it being a notable return to form for the violent horror series. It garnered some of the best reviews of the franchise, and audiences showed up, with a worldwide box office of $112.5 million. Plans for Saw XI were announced in 2023, and the project was in development, but its release was pushed from September 2024 to 2025. However, in March 2025, work on the sequel seemingly stalled, with Lionsgate removing it from their release schedule. In June, Blumhouse was said to have acquired the rights to the franchise. There hasn't been any news of the franchise's future since, leaving Saw fans hoping for the best, not knowing if they'll get a sequel or reboot.

Saw And Hostel Helped Redefine Violence and Gore In Cinema

Critics Were Often Harsh, But Audiences Showed Up

Torture victim in Hostel 1 — Torture by the Elite Hunting Club in Hostel

Eli Roth wrote and directed Hostel (2006) and Hostel: Part II (2007), which were released early in Saw's prolific run of movies, as the franchise released a film every Autumn for 7 straight years. There is a lesser-known Hostel: Part III, which was a straight-to-DVD release in 2007 with a different writer and director. Still, both franchises found themselves at the forefront of a movement in the horror genre that saw audiences showing up for hyper-violent movies, with scares often coming from gross-out moments over tension or jump scares.

Critics were often harsh on the bloody franchises. The first Saw movie kicked off the series with varying reviews, as some loved it while others reviled it. However, the box office returns on its low budget were too tempting to shy away from. Hostel was a bit more conservative in its releases, keeping them to a smaller number, but some would argue that it is harsher in certain regards, often feeling more cruel towards its victims. Still, despite the media labeling them as "torture porn," the franchises found success and carved out their own gnarly place in horror history. Now, with the Saw franchise having an unknown future, Hostel is coming back for another gory installment.

Eli Roth's Hostel Franchise Is Returning As A TV Series Starring Paul Giamatti

Director Eli Roth Is Also Returning

black-mirror-season-7-cast-episode-5-paul-giamatti

As reported by Variety, NBCUniversal is developing a Hostel series for their Peacock streaming service. Eli Roth is said to be writing, directing, and executive producing the series, bringing his horror stylings back to the franchise he created. While it may shock some that Hostel is returning in a new format rather than another film, the casting news has stunned many. Two-time Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Giamatti is said to be starring in the new show.

Many know Giamatti from his recent lauded work on Billions, and his recently hailed performance in The Holdovers, with the actor often being noted for prestigious roles. However, he has made unique choices in the past, with unlikely appearances on shows like Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman, and Big Mouth, and in movies such as The Congress and John Dies at the End. Giamatti may not have been many people's first thought, but Hostel looks to be another interesting foray for the actor, much like his upcoming Star Trek series.

Further details surrounding the Hostel series are scarce, but could be forthcoming as it continues development. The future of the Saw franchise looks to be a bigger unknown at the moment, but hopefully, Hostel offers the perfect substitute to satiate fans looking for gory horror cinema. If it proves successful, there could be a bright future for horrific fates thanks to Eli Roth's twisted mind.

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