Saw Filmmaking Duo Not Returning for New Sequel
Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger are sitting out the new movie.
This year's Saw X largely revived the stagnant franchise and earned the horror series some of its best critical reactions in decades, and while fans are excited that a Saw XI was announced this week, writer Josh Stolberg took to Twitter to confirm the upcoming installment won't be written by him and Pete Goldfinger. The pair have multiple entries in the series under their belt, having written Jigsaw, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, and Saw X, and while their first two films might have been more unconventional approaches to the concept, their latest effort is arguably what helped return the series to its former glory. Saw XI is currently set to hit theaters on September 26, 2024.
"Pete and I are sitting this chapter out. Very excited to see this one as a fan of the franchise. I think people will be pleased with the team," Stolberg clarified on Twitter. He then joked, "THANK YOU to everyone writing kind words about Saw X and your disappointment that I won't be writing Saw XI. To make you feel better, just remember what y'all said when Jigsaw came out! HAHAHAHA. Honestly, SO excited to sit back and watch this new one as a fan!"
Got a slew of DM‘s today about the Lionsgate @saw announcement. Pete and I are sitting this chapter out. Very excited to see this one as a fan of the franchise. I think people will be pleased with the team. ♥️♥️♥️
— Josh Stolberg (@joshstolberg) December 12, 2023
The original Saw landed in theaters in 2004 and its success, paired with the intimate and lo-fi premise of that debut installment meant that sequels could be developed on a much tighter schedule than most other films, resulting in a new entry hitting theaters every subsequent year, up until 2010. Since the release of Jigsaw in 2017, the series' output has slowed considerably, with the announcement of a Saw XI being released next year coming as an exciting relief for fans.
The tight turnaround for Saw XI also helps make sense of why Stolberg and Goldfinger might not be returning for this entry. Tobin Bell's Jigsaw was killed in the franchise years ago, with many of the films in the series only featuring him by way of flashbacks, which includes Jigsaw, an experience that featured a significant number of events that took place before the original Saw. Stolberg and Goldfinger then began developing the idea of how to bring Bell back to the series, but the development of that film was delayed when Chris Rock expressed interest in making a movie for the series, which is the genesis of Spiral. When that film earned an underwhelming response, Stolberg and Goldfinger were then able to fully develop the sequel that would bring back Jigsaw, which became Saw X.
In this sense, it's possible that more filmmakers have already been working on a Saw XI behind the scenes even during the development of Saw X, but Stolberg's reaction to the news implies there's no love lost between the writers and Lionsgate.
Saw XI is currently set to hit theaters on September 26, 2024.
Are you disappointed the duo isn't writing the new movie? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!