"Saw XI Delayed: Lionsgate and Producer Clash"

It's hard to believe, but the curtains might be closing on the Saw franchise for now. The much-anticipated Saw XI has hit a snag and won't be hitting theaters this fall as planned. This isn't due to creative disagreements; instead, it's a managerial hiccup. According to Saw XI screenwriter Patrick Melton, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, "We haven’t heard anything since May. 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."

Melton and his writing partner Marcus Dunstan handed in their script draft back in spring 2024, nearly a year ago. Melton elaborated on the delay, saying, "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."

Kevin Gruetert, a frequent director for the franchise, was set to helm Saw XI back in December 2023, with an initial release date set for September 2024. However, fans were left disappointed when the film was pushed back a whole year to September 2025. Despite the setback, diehard fans remained hopeful, especially after Saw X's impressive performance at the box office. The 10th installment breathed new life into the series, pulling in over $120 million worldwide, which naturally fueled excitement for Saw XI.

What makes this delay even more frustrating is that Saw XI was poised to tackle a very current issue. While plot details remain under wraps, Melton likened the film's theme to that of Saw VI, which he co-wrote with Dunstan and was directed by Gruetert. In Saw VI, John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), exacts revenge on 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." Given today's global context, it would be fascinating to see how the Saw franchise could revisit these themes in a new light. Unfortunately, it looks like we might never get that chance.