Spiral Director Details Why the Film Will Excite Longtime Saw Fans and Non-Fans Alike

When crafting a sequel into a long-running franchise, especially a series like Saw, most fans will likely return for each new installment as they have an idea of what to expect from each outing, while those who aren’t a fan of early installments will rule out all follow-ups. With the upcoming Spiral: From the Book of Saw, it’s clear that the franchise is undergoing some degree of reinvention, which will surely have some audiences who weren’t formerly interested more excited while longtime fans could be apprehensive. Spiral director Darren Lynn Bousman, who previously helmed three sequels in the series, recently explained why his new film will appeal to both longtime fans and those who weren’t previously interested in the series alike. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is only in theaters on May 14th.

“The DNA of the movie comes from the universe of Saw, no doubt, but it’s its own thing,” Bousman teased to ComicBook.com of what longtime fans could expect. “I love the world and script that Josh [Stolberg], Pete [Goldfinger], and Chris Rock created here. It feels familiar, yet it’s completely unique and different from what has come before it. I think this movie honors the mythology of the past films, yet charts course for something entirely different. Longtime fans will still get the things they crave; macabre traps, unexpected twists, (and even a puppet), but Chris, Max [Minghella], Samuel [L. Jackson], and Marisol [Nichols] elevate this into something truly unique and special.”

As far as why Spiral might appeal to even those who weren’t previously Saw fans, “We’ve all grown up. Me, as a filmmaker, and the franchise as a whole. When I started off making these films violence and gore was a gimmick. I wanted to see how far I/we could push the envelope while still telling a compelling story. This time around, the violence, and gore, serve the story. In the case of Spiral, story and character came first above all else — and then we peppered in the red. I think Spiral is a ‘best of.’ It has taken the best threads of all the previous films, and woven a complex, and scary web.”

A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw. Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Rock) and his rookie partner (Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.

Check out Spiral: From the Book of Saw only in theaters on May 14th.

Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!