The Big Picture
- Saw X, a prequel set between the first and second movies, brings back Billy the puppet, a chilling character known for delivering the deadly game rules.
- Jigsaw, the mastermind behind the twisted games, punishes those who take life for granted by putting them in life-threatening traps.
- The Saw franchise, created by Leigh Whannell and James Wan, became a Halloween tradition with films released every October from 2005 to 2010.
As the Saw franchise returns later this year with the upcoming Saw X, audiences will once again be asked that dreaded question – do you want to play a game? The film, a prequel set to take place between the events of the series’ first and second installments, will see the deadly Jigsaw killer return for the first time since 2017’s Jigsaw. Since that film, the franchise received a spin-off in 2021’s Chris Rock led Spiral. Now, in preparation of a new batch of twisted games, a new image from the film has been released.
The Saw franchise sees individuals placed in “games”, in which they must risk their lives in a test of endurance to supposedly find value in their life. The new look at the film showcases the franchise’s iconic mascot, Billy the puppet – a frightful, tricycle-riding doll who comes baring bad news, informing victims of the rules of the deadly traps they now find themselves in. The games are the concoction of Tobin Bell‘s John Kramer – aka Jigsaw – a man dying of cancer, on a mission to punish those who take life for granted. A serial killer who never actually kills anyone, Jigsaw lets his victims do that all for themselves. Bell returns for the upcoming prequel, with a synopsis for the film revealing:
“It’s the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s final games. 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. 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.”
The franchise debuted back in 2004, the brainchild of Leigh Whannell and James Wan, who would go on to become genre legends thanks to their work on not only the Saw franchise, but also the Insidious series. Wan also worked as a director and producer of the Conjuring films. Whannell would star in the first Saw movie alongside Cary Elwes, as photographer Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon respectively. As the pair awaken in a dilapidated room, chained, with an apparent corpse between them, they are challenged to a game in order to secure their survival. On a budget of only $1.2 million dollars, the film became a massive hit for Lionsgate and production company Twisted Pictures, grossing $109.9 million, and kick-starting the long-running franchise. For a time, the series became a Halloween tradition, as films were released every October between 2005 and 2010.
The tenth installment into the series, Saw X hits theaters on September 29, 2023, having been moved up a month from its original October 27 release date.
