Saw X producers think killing Jigsaw so early might have been a mistake

Last Updated on October 3, 2023

Horror movie villains can survive just about anything, with Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and many more returning from the dead time and time again. However, when it comes to the Saw franchise, the dead stay dead, and that includes the man himself — Jigsaw (Tobin Bell).

Although Jigsaw is back in theaters with Saw X, the character actually died over fifteen years ago in Saw III, which franchise producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules now regret. In an interview with IndieWire, the pair said that Jigsaw’s death is the one creative choice they regret. “If I had to do it again, I might not have killed Tobin Bell in ‘Saw III,’” Burg said. “That might have been a mistake.” Thanks to flashbacks, Tobin Bell was able to reprise the role of Jigsaw in every subsequent Saw sequel, with the exception of Spiral, but it’s not hard to imagine what could have been had they kept him alive just a little longer.

Saw X is already off to a good start at the box office, taking in $2 million in Thursday night previews. It’s also received the best reviews of the franchise by far, which begs the question: will there be another sequel/prequel? “We’re superstitious, so we’ve never talked about the following ‘Saw’ until the previous movie opens,” Burg said. “So if this movie works on October 2, we’ll sit down. We left it open-ended, and I want to see what happens next.“

“John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game,” reads the official Saw X synopsis. “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. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps.“

Saw X is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Tyler Nichols.