Chris Rock's Saw Reboot Gets Earlier Release Date

The news that Chris Rock is going to reboot the Saw movie franchise caught horror fans (and even a lot of mainstream movie fans) by complete surprise. Well, as it turns out now, Rock's relaunch of Saw is coming down the pipeline faster than anyone would've guessed!

A new report reveals that Chris Rock's Saw has moved from its October 2020 release date, and will now arrive much sooner, in May of 2020.

The Wrap has revealed that the Saw reboot's release date is now May 15, 2020, where its primary competitor at the box office will be Warner Bros. animated Scooby Doo film, Scoob. It's probably a smart move from a positioning standpoint; October may have been the traditional release window for the Saw franchise, but May will offer this new and untested "re-imagining" to be offer a mainstream horror brand to audiences, in a space where there's much less competition in the genre.

Rock wrote the story for this new vision of Saw, with a script by Jigsaw writers Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg. Saw II - IV director Darren Lynn Bousman will helm the film. Rock will also star in the reboot, playing a police detective investigating a series of horrific murders. Samuel L. Jackson has been cast as his father; Marisol Nichols (Riverdale) plays his police captain; and Max Minghella (The Social Network) is his cop partner.

Here's what Chris Rock had to say, when it was announced that he was jumping into the franchise:

"I've been a fan of Saw since the first film in 2004," Rock said in a press release "I am excited by the opportunity to take this to a really intense and twisted new place."

"When Chris Rock came to us and described in chilling detail his fantastic vision that reimagines and spins-off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, we were all-in," said Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake. "Saw is one of the highest grossing horror franchises of all-time and it's one of Lionsgate's most successful film series. This upcoming film will still be as mind bending and intense as all the previous Saw films. Chris conceived this idea and it will be completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision and passion for this classic horror franchise."

As stated at the start, Saw has vacated its October 23, 2020 release date, and will now be released on May 15, 2020.