Exclusive: Here’s Why SAW 11 Fell Apart (And What Could Happen Next)
We finally know what happened with Saw 11 (or Saw XI, as it was seemingly going to be stylized) before it all fell apart. Just to briefly recap, the folks at Twisted Pictures were prepping another sequel in the long-running franchise alongside Lionsgate after the success of Saw X in 2023. After setting a release date and getting a team together, things stalled. Then, everything changed.
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Earlier this year, it was revealed that Twisted Pictures founders Oren Koules and Mark Burg sold the Saw franchise – the entire thing – to Blumhouse. Now, Jason Blum and James Wan, whose Atomic Monster has a partnership with Blumhouse, are in control. It seems fitting because Wan directed the original Saw, which helped kick off John Kramer’s reign of morally questionable terror more than 20 years ago.
“It was the right place,” Koules said in a recent interview with FANGORA of Blumhouse. That’s partially because of Wan, allowing the series to be in his capable hands. “It was the logical place.”
Koules was speaking with Fango about his new movie Trust, which hits theaters on August 22. He went on to further explain that he and Burg simply disagreed on the vision for Saw XI, which led to the sale. But he also made it clear that Blumhouse didn’t just get the future of Jigsaw – they got it all.
“My partner and I couldn’t see eye to eye on Saw XI. It was the right time. We also sold the library, the ten previous movies, all of the ancillaries, the roller coaster, the escape rooms, all of it.”
“It’s hard. Some ways, I’m bummed but in some ways I’m kind of free of it all. For 21 years, that’s what I’ve been doing,” Koules added. “I want to tell other stories.”
As for what went wrong? While he didn’t get too specific, it all came down to creative differences. He and Burg simply couldn’t come together on a vision for the film. But what they had was probably very appealing to longtime fans. Longtime series director Kevin Gruetert was set to direct Saw XI, with veteran writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton penning a screenplay. Much like Saw X, it would have been an inbetween-quel that would have taken place before the death of John Kramer in Saw III, allowing for Tobin Bell to return once more. But Bell wasn’t the only one coming back, as Koules told us.
“It’s not a big secret. Kevin Gruetert was directing. Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton wrote. It was a great script. It took place about 30 seconds after Saw X. Everybody was in. Everybody was in. Mark [Burg] and I just couldn’t agree on the execution.”
For now, we can only wonder what that might have looked like. It would have been a way to get the whole gang back together, despite most of them dying along the way as the franchise progressed. Koules was careful not to say too much about the movie though because there’s still a chance it could happen.
“I purposely have never asked Jason what his idea is,” Koules explained. “In the deal, they got the Saw XI script, so I don’t want to give away too much in case he goes to make it.” Beyond that though, the franchise could expand greatly under Blumhouse, with video games and more now on the table.
“I know Jason loves video games. A lot of the things he had, Paranormal [Activity], all of these different franchises, he didn’t own those rights to go make video games. I know that he really wanted to start owning IP so he could take advantage of all the different things.”
The next Saw movie doesn’t have a release date but stay tuned. For more, get the lowdown on the ten highest-rated horror movies of 2025 so far.
