If there’s one franchise that a lot of horror fans have a love/hate relationship with, it’d have to be Saw. While the twist endings, deadly Rube Goldberg-inspired traps, and warped sense of morality usually make for a fun time at the movies, the series has been putting out some pretty underwhelming offerings with its last few outings. As such, many people assumed that Lionsgate had finally decided to bring things to a close, especially after 2018 came and went without much fanfare.
But the past few months have seen the property roar back to life in the most unexpected way. In May, we learned that Chris Rock (yes, you read that correctly) was joining the franchise to produce and provide the story for the next film, which will apparently act as another reboot/expansion of the series. And then just this morning, Bloody Disgusting told us that Rock would be starring in it as well, alongside Samuel L. Jackson.
Now, we’ve gotten our hands on some plot details which tease an unexpected and sinister new story for fans to get excited about. From what we understand, Rock will play a police detective investigating a series of grisly crimes and Jackson will show up as his father. Joining them will be Max Minghella, who’ll step into the shoes of William Schenk, Rock’s partner, and Marisol Nichols as Capt. Angie Garza, Rock’s boss.
Furthermore, the film is in production as Saw IX and will indeed be canonized, promising to deliver “a new amped-up level of deviously treacherous traps, clever clues and the edge-of-the-seat suspense audiences expect from one of the world’s most terrifying horror franchises.”
Speaking about what they’ve got planned, Joe Drake, Chairman of Lionsgate, said the following:
“We think Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock along with Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols make this film completely special in the SAW canon and we can’t wait to unleash this unexpected and sinister new story on fans of this franchise. This is next level of SAW on full tilt.”
Of course, the one thing everyone wants to know is if Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw will be involved in any way. Given that this is said to be a fresh take on the franchise and expand it in new directions, it seems unlikely, but we’ll find out for sure when Saw IX is unleashed on audiences on October 23rd, 2020.