The original Saw franchise, created and penned by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, was a movie franchise revered for the limits it would push regarding gore and violence. Take, for instance, the infamous needle pit scene from Saw 2; if you haven’t seen or heard of it before, there is probably a good reason for that as it is not for the faint of heart. When many heard that Chris Rock was involved in plans to reboot such a dark franchise, many questioned his involvement given he is typically known for his work on a series like Everybody Hates Chris, not a horror franchise. His involvement is slowly becoming more understandable however, as new reports indicate that though the ninth film of the franchise intends to pay homage to its predecessors still, the new film is said to employ much less violence than Saw fans have come to expect.
The upcoming film titled Spiral: From The Book of Saw is set to be directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who also directed the second through fourth installments of the franchise. While Bousman may have been partially responsible for the needle pit scene previously mentioned, he noted in an interview with Empire that gore and violence will not be the telltale signs of this film much like it has been in the franchise’s past. Bousman stated: “Gore and violence was the gimmick, I think. Gore and violence is no longer a gimmick – it serves the story. This is much more about character, tension and fear.” He also goes on to note how David Fincher’s Se7en served largely as an inspiration for this film, drawing it away from the violence and gore perspective to a much more nuanced one that emphasizes the role of plot and character development instead.
This should work well for those who have been cast at the helm of the film, being Chris Rock and the notorious Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson will play a retired police veteran while Rock, alongside Max Minghella, will play an up-and-coming detective attempting to solve a series of murders that moonlights the city’s dark past. While the film is supposed to be more lighthearted than previous Saw endeavors, the early synopsis of the film sounds like fans of the franchise will not be all that disappointed. While the fruits of their labor have yet to be seen, it is expected that the ninth installment of the Saw franchise is set to release this upcoming May, giving eager fans something to look forward to.
