"Saw XI Delayed: Lionsgate and Producer Clashes"

It's a surprising turn of events for fans of the Saw franchise: the highly anticipated Saw XI has been officially delayed and will not meet its planned fall release. This unexpected halt comes not from creative disagreements but from managerial complications within the production team.

Patrick Melton, the screenwriter for Saw XI, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that there has been no progress since May. "It's stalled at a managerial level. It has nothing to do with the creative or anything else. There's higher-level things at play," Melton explained. He and his writing partner, Marcus Dunstan, completed a draft of the script in the spring of 2024, almost a year ago now. The delay stems from ongoing disputes between the producers and Lionsgate, who are struggling to reach a consensus.

Originally, frequent franchise director Kevin Gruetert was set to helm the project, with a release date scheduled for September 2024. However, fans were disappointed when the film's release was pushed back to September 2025. This delay came as a blow, especially following the success of Saw X, the 10th installment, which revitalized the franchise by earning over $120 million globally. The strong performance of Saw X had heightened anticipation for Saw XI.

What adds to the frustration is that Saw XI was poised to address a topical issue. Although specific plot details remain under wraps, Melton hinted that the film's storyline would echo themes from Saw VI, which he co-wrote with Dunstan and was directed by Gruetert. In Saw VI, John Kramer, also known as Jigsaw and portrayed by Tobin Bell, targets a group of health insurance executives.

"Saw XI may or may not be made, but we have a very timely story in it, and I hope it gets made just because of that," Melton told THR. He elaborated that the film would resonate with the same themes as Saw VI, focusing on the frustrations of citizens who feel powerless against systemic issues, with Jigsaw stepping in to take action. Given current global circumstances, it would have been fascinating to see how the Saw franchise could explore these themes anew, though it seems increasingly unlikely that we'll get to witness this narrative unfold.