For the better part of a decade in the early 2000s, the Saw franchise was a Halloween staple, with the first seven installments landing release dates in late October. Jigsaw carried on that tradition, though Chris Rock’s Spiral shook things up a bit with its May 2021 drop. The tenth film, Saw X looked to be returning to form with an October 27 debut, but Lionsgate is once again breaking with spooky holiday traditions by shifting the sequel up a full month. While kind of disappointing for anyone wanting a mood-appropriate theatrical experience, at least the studio has a good reason for making the move. (Lionsgate also revealed a first-look shot of returning star Tobin Bell, as well as more details, so no grudges held here.)
Bringing the title back to its simple roots for the first time since 2010’s Saw 3D, Saw X will now trap audiences in their seats on Friday, September 29, 2023. This sequel also brings back the sixth and seventh film’s director, Kevin Greutert, working from a script penned by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, who also wrote Jigsaw and Spiral. Considering it’s also bringing back Amanda Young actress Shawnee Smith alongside Bell, it does seem a little baffling that Lionsgate would put the film out a full month ahead of trick-or-treating.
But according to Deadline, the methodology behind the date change is based on how well Saw X has performed with test audiences, combined with how personally excited execs at Lionsgate are about what they’ve seen. The idea there is that whenever studios aren’t so confident in a project, it gets dumped into a weekend where expectations are at yearly lows. But pushing the film up will give it a better chance of drawing in horror fans who like to celebrate Halloween for an entire month, rather than just a day or weekend.
Other wide releases that weekend include Disney’s The Creator, with John David Washington and Gemma Chan, and Richard Dreyfuss’ drama Abandonment, which shouldn’t be too competitive as far as similar audiences go. But it’s probably telling that Saw X shifted away from a date where it would be directly up against the highly anticipated live-action Five Nights at Freddy’s film, which is geared for younger audiences who’ve obsessed over the video games and book series. That flick has a shot at becoming a breakout smash in the same way Saw was when it debuted in 2004, so I cannot judge Lionsgate for backing away from that head-to-head, even if it’s being wholly presented as due to positive testing scores and comments.
In other news about the same news, below is the first look at Tobin Bell's return as John Kramer, and I'm feeling that facial hair for the throwback timeline.
Saw X will take place between the events of the original film and Saw II, naturally. This previously unseen time in the character's life will see him ailing and desperate on a trip to Mexico to have an experimental surgery in an attempt to cure his cancer, despite there being many risks involved. One of those risks, as he discovers, is that the whole medical charade is a scam to screw sick people out of their money. And that, as one probably expects, is what brings his Jigsaw persona back to the forefront as he goes on a trap-setting mission of vengeance.
So grease up those tricycle wheels and get your sweat-stained Billy the Puppet masks ready, everybody, because Saw X is swapping spots and will now be out on Friday, September 29, 2023. Check out all kinds of other upcoming horror movies popping into theaters before and after Jigsaw's return and brush up on the best horror movies of all time while you wait.
