Saw X Director Says There Is Regret About Killing John Kramer So Early in the Franchise

There are a lot of things that set , bone of the most prominent being that the series actually killed off its main character just three movies in. Tobin Bell’s John Kramer died at the end of Saw III, but he has continued to be a major part of the franchises through flashbacks and twists in subsequent films. The recently released Saw X actually takes place between the second and third films in the series, specifically so it could focus on John Kramer’s story.

Saw was only supposed to be a trilogy, so John’s death in Saw III made sense at the time. But it grew so big that more films were made, and it got more complicated to tie John back into the story. According to Saw X director Kevin Greutert, who has been involved with the series from the very beginning, there have been some regrets over killing John so early.

“I think there is regret,” Greutert told The Hollywood Reporter. “It would be a lot easier to make these films if that hadn’t happened, but at the same time, the first three were largely considered the best of the Saw series. There was a kind of integrity, I think, to really trying to make a trilogy and nothing more. And decisively killing the character off, that integrity, as it was perceived at the time at least, was pretty important in making the story great. But the fact that more movies had to be made, we did the best that we could, and in some cases, it was great to do it through flashbacks and all that. But yeah, there’s definitely a lot of desire to have not killed him off.”

More Saw Movies

There are more plans for additional Saw movies after Saw X. No scripts have been written just yet, but the creative team behind the franchise has ideas in place for more films.

“We’re kind of superstitious,” producer Oren Koules told ComicBook.com. “We tend not to get too far ahead of ourselves. The movie’s going to be released in a few days. For us, we do have ideas for the next one, we haven’t put pent to paper. But this is his story, we really wanted it to be John Kramer’s story and tell a John Kramer story. So for the first 30 minutes of the movie, he’s John Kramer, you don’t have any hint of Jigsaw.”

What Is Saw X About?

You can check out the synopsis for Saw X below.

“John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most disturbing installment of the Saw franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game. Set between the events of Saw I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer — only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps.”  

Saw X is now playing in theaters.