The horror genre's renaissance has lasted for years now, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Some of the best horror movies returned to theaters with new sequels, including the Saw movies. Franchise legend Tobin Bell recently confirmed that he'll once again be back for the developing Saw XI movie, and as a longtime fan I've got questions.
Those of us who have seen the torture-heay franchise recall that John Kramer/Jigsaw was killed in 2006's Saw III. Since then the franchise has had to jump through hoops to include the beloved villain, like Saw X going back in the timeline. During a recent interview with LA Times, Bell confirmed that he's once again going to be back as the mastermind of pain. In his words:
I’m really excited about continuing to develop him. John Kramer is not done. There’s more to learn.
While this news is surely exciting for longtime Saw fans like myself, I have to wonder exactly how Jigsaw will be back for the upcoming eleventh movie in the franchise. We'll just have to wait and see what comes next.
I have to assume that the next movie will take place after Saw X's ending, which definitely left some narrative threads to pull from. And since that project was a interquel set between the first and second movies, Tobin Bell's character John Kramer is still very much alive.
The saw movies (many of which are streaming with a Max subscription) mess with time quite a bit. For example: both Saw III and Saw IV essentially happen at the same time, which was a huge twist when the movies arrived in theaters. As such, it seems like there are actually a variety of ways that Jigsaw could be brought back. Although Bell's comments about exploring the character make me think that the eleventh movie in the franchise will continue with the same story and point in the timeline as Saw X.
If Saw XI does in fact use this strategy, it could also open the door for another returning legacy character: Shawnee Smith's Amanda Young. Fans were hyped when she returned for the last movie, despite her character also biting the bullet in Saw III.
The ending of Saw X also featured another surprising cameo, with Costas Mandylor appearing briefly as the villainous Mark Hoffman. The horror movies regularly introduced new protégées of Jigsaw, and fans would no doubt be thrilled to see the inner working between John, Amanda, and Hoffman that we weren't privy to.
Saw XI is currently expected to arrive in theaters on September 26th, 2025, just in time for next year's Spooky Season. For now, check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan what other titles you might want to see.
