The strange thing about horror is how it thrives on death—of characters, of ideas, sometimes even of entire franchises—only to claw its way back with a pulse stronger than before. Saw did exactly that in 2023. Against every law of diminishing returns, Saw X not only scored the franchise's best reviews since James Wan's 2004 original but also banked a healthy global box office. By horror math, that's practically a miracle. So of course, Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures wanted more.
By December 2023, they were teasing Saw XI on Instagram with a graphic and even a date: September 27, 2024. It was bold, maybe reckless. Fans were thrilled, but anyone who has followed this genre long enough smelled trouble. And right on cue, in March 2024, the release quietly slipped a year to September 2025. That was the first crack in the trap.
Then came silence. By March 2025, the project had vanished from Lionsgate's release calendar. Industry whispers turned into shouts—infighting at Twisted Pictures, a script collecting dust, stars left in limbo. When producer Oren Koules later admitted, “Mark and I had a difference of opinion about how Saw XI would be,” it all clicked. Creative fractures had split the very producers who helped keep Jigsaw's blades sharp.
The real gut punch? Koules revealed the script—penned by longtime Saw writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan—was set to begin 30 seconds after Saw X ended. Imagine that: Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund) carried straight into the aftermath, no time skip, no detour, just pure continuation. It was designed to keep the blood flowing while audiences were still high from Saw X. And yet, those 30 seconds may now live only in a draft.
By June 2025, the franchise fate shifted in one headline-making move: Twisted Pictures sold its stake to Blumhouse, while Lionsgate stayed on as partner. James Wan returned to the fold in some capacity—a poetic full circle—but Blumhouse in 2025 doesn't carry the same sheen it did back when The Conjuring rewired the genre. After recent flops like M3GAN 2.0, fan confidence is shaky. Blumhouse has the puppet now, but does it still know how to play the game?
What's certain is this: horror history just took a hard turn. Saw went from rejuvenated legacy sequel to stalled production to franchise handover in less than two years. That kind of whiplash doesn't happen often, even in this blood-soaked corner of cinema. Maybe the next iteration will be sharp, maybe not. But the idea of Saw XI starting 30 seconds after Saw X—that's the kind of lost detail that makes horror fans ache.
What Stands Out About the Saw XI Fallout
The 30-second hook
The film would have opened directly after Saw X, stitching the two together like a continuous scream.
A public fracture
Oren Koules and Mark Burg's falling out over creative direction ultimately tore Twisted Pictures from the series.
A studio shift
Blumhouse now controls the franchise alongside Lionsgate, marking a major genre power move in June 2025.
James Wan's return
The original mastermind is back in the mix—though the extent of his role remains undisclosed.
An uncertain horror future
Blumhouse, once untouchable, has stumbled lately. Saw could either help restore its credibility or bury it deeper.
