Chris Rock Says New Saw Movie Will Have Humor

When news of the ninth Saw movie was announced it came with a resounding, "Wait, what?" Heads turned (and not because of an elaborate death trap) when Lionsgate announced in May of last year that legendary comedian and actor Chris Rock would be shepherding the next installment in the horror franchise to the big screen, appearing in front of the camera and developing the story for the new film. Throughout its production it has been raising eyebrows from fans around the globe, and in a new interview Rock revealed his intentions for wanting to work on the series and that, yes, it will have a few jokes.

"A lot of times I go to a movie or I watch a TV show and I go, 'Wow, you know, two jokes would have made a big difference in that,'" Rock told IGN. "I love Saw, but I was like 'Wow, it has almost no humor at all.' So, it seemed like a good place…good fertile ground…By the way, the new Saw, I've seen like a rough cut. It's still Saw…it's bloody, it's gory, but there's like a sprinkling of humor here and there. We're not revamping it, it's not Scary Movie, it's Saw."

The new Saw film, produced under the working title The Organ Donor, stars Rock as a police detective named Zeke who is investigating a series of grisly crimes. Samuel L. Jackson reportedly plays Rock's father while Nazneen Contractor plays a coroner working with Rock's character, Max Minghella plays his partner William Schenk, and Marisol Nichols plays Captain Angie Garza, Rock's boss.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman, who helmed three of the sequels with the back-to-back-to-back trifecta of Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV, returns behind the camera once again. Jigsaw writers Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg penned the script from a story by Rock.

"Chris wants to put his own spin on the Saw franchise in the way Eddie Murphy put a completely fresh perspective on buddy-cop films with 48 Hours," producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules previously said. "This new Saw is going to be an event film in the making for horror fans. It will have all of the twists and turns and hardcore layers that our fans expect directed by one of the masters of the craft, Darren Lynn Bousman."

The new Saw film opens in theaters on May 15, 2020.

What are you hoping to see in the new Saw movie and how do you think the series will go with an injection of humor added to it? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below!