‘Saw 11’ Cancelled; Franchise Might Be Dead [Update]

UPDATE: THR confirms the previous report and adds that “zero progress” has been made on “Saw XI.”

“We haven’t heard anything since May,” says “Saw XI” screenwriter Melton, who has been involved with the franchise since 2007’s Saw IV. “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.”

Adds the writer, “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.”

EARLIER: Back in 2023, “Saw XI” had been greenlit by Lionsgate and given a 09.27.24 release date. I really thought this franchise was dead after the fourth or fifth instalment, but no, they decided to continue on with an eleventh movie. Or did they?

Bloody Disgusting is reporting that “Saw XI” has been canceled. Why? Well, producers started fighting. One producer attempted to “plow forward” with the film, the other “put up roadblocks,” stifling Saw XI’s production. This bad blood has resulted in refusal for compromise.

So, “Saw XI” is definitely not happening and Lionsgate’s attempts at mediation have not been successful. The insider notes that the franchise might sell somewhere else, but it will likely “start over,” if so.

This news comes after 2023’s “Saw X” made much more money than expected, and was actually decently reviewed by critics. This is a crushing blow for Lionsgate who tend to make these ‘Saw’ movies on shoestring budgets. For example, “Saw X” was budgeted at around $10M and grossed over $100M worldwide.

Fact: the first ‘Saw’ film is still the most interesting one, a mostly-confined-to-one-set and memorable horror thriller that felt somewhat fresh back in the day. Anything after that was a way for Lionsgate to milk this franchise to death.

In “Saw X,” and much like the previous movies of this franchise, there was a perverse fascination in finding the most original ways to showcase sliced-up limbs. The last instalment might have been one of the better outings of the series, but it was still not a good movie.

Can struggling Lionsgate actually find a way to save their billion-dollar franchise? After a 2024 filled with box office failures, and a potential sale on the horizon, this is the last thing they need right now.