Do you hear that squeaking sound? But it isn’t a door or a piece of furniture in need of a good oiling, unfortunately; it’s the sound of a tricycle being pedaled by Billy the Puppet. Well, it’s actually being pedaled by a remote control or something, but that’s not the point. The point is, Legendary is reportedly once again interested in turning a profit on their mega-successful Saw franchise, which hasn’t made eyeballs rebel since Saw 3D came out in 2010. How can it simultaneously feel like it’s been so long since one of these films came out, while feeling like one of them just came out a few weeks ago?
Nothing is official, of course, but Bloody Disgusting’s sources were told exclusively that an eighth installment in the series is "incredibly active" in getting an eighth installment in the franchise developed. It’s unfortunate that someone’s very excellent idea for a story isn’t the impetus behind this decision, though we can hope. Maybe one of the producers has to skin a family member alive because such a great idea was written on their bones or something.
I’m a huge fan of the first film, and an armchair fan of the sequels in general, so I’m neither surprised nor particularly angry about this decision. BD mentions "rumblings of a remake," though the bulk of their insiders say the goal is to further the existing iteration of the story. A reboot would indeed bring me to the breaking point of my tolerance, though I can’t imagine why anyone would feel the need to follow Saw 3D up with anything. I mean…
The producers shot themselves in the foot for sticking to this all-inclusive universe of plotlines, although that’s part of the fun. Part of me thinks it would be dumb not to include Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw, but another part of me just wishes someone would blow a breath of fresh air into the story. It’s the same way I feel about Paranormal Activity 5, which took a little more development time following the terrible fourth film.
Rumors of another Saw film started back when Lionsgate and Summit merged, and apparently there’s no rush to get into production, as they’d rather wait until they have the perfect take on it. Somebody get Cary Elwes on the phone and tell him to keep his schedule open.
Meanwhile, the awesome guys at CinemaSins released "Everything Wrong With Saw in 8 Minutes or Less" in time for Halloween. It knows how to play a game.
