Saw franchise fans rejoice.
Tobin Bell, who has played iconic villain “Jigsaw” A.K.A. John Kramer since the 2004 horror film Saw, has recently disclosed in an interview with The Los Angeles Times that he’s not done with the character just yet. Signaling a return to the franchise in the upcoming Saw XI, fans can expect Bell to step into the twisted mastermind’s shoes once again following the tenth installment to the franchise, Saw X, released in 2023.
“I’m really excited about continuing to develop him,” Bell said when asked to confirm whether or not he’d be returning. “John Kramer is not done. There’s more to learn.”
Since the 2004 James Wan directed Saw, Bell has cemented himself as a pillar in the franchise and the horror genre itself as death-trap designer and alternative “life coach” John Kramer, who tests the will to live of victims he deems necessary. Bell has appeared in each installment since the original (save for the Chris Rock-led 2021 film Spiral: From the Book of Saw), despite his character’s death in Saw III, released in 2006. We last saw the character test a group of fake medical physicians who claimed to have cured him of his life-threatening illness in Kevin Greutert’s Saw X, serving as a “mid-quel” in the franchise, taking place in between the first and second film installments.
Greutert, having previously spoken with The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, reflected on the franchise’s past decision to kill Jigsaw’s character off, citing the impact it had on the placement of subsequent stories told. “I think there is regret. It would just 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…But yeah, there’s definitely a lot of desire to have not killed him off.”
Saw XI, starring Tobin Bell, is slated for a September 2025 release.
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