Saw X director says the movie features more Jigsaw than any other in the franchise

“I want to play a game.” It’s been nearly twenty years since Jigsaw first uttered those words and began a bloody journey full of gruesome traps and terrific twists. However, after Jigsaw/John Kramer was killed off in Saw III, subsequent sequels featured the character less and less, to the point where he only appeared for two minutes in Saw 3D. Thankfully, that’s not going to be a problem in Saw X as director Kevin Greutert told Empire that the movie features more of Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw “than in any other Saw.“

“Kramer is the centre of the story,” Kevin Greutert said. “They tried to make the last Saw without Tobin, and to me, that was a pretty gutsy move.” In addition to more Jigsaw, Saw X will also return to a more gritty, realistic tone. “This one has pulled back to a somewhat more realistic level,” Greutert said. “Not maybe Saw I-level simplicity, but close. The more that the audience can get the sense that a smart engineer – which he is – could figure out what to do with these parts and make it work, the better.“

Saw X will also shift the perspective of the story more towards Jigsaw himself. “[Saw X] is an emotional journey that you go on with John Kramer, and less a slaughterhouse that you experience from the point of view of the victims,” Greutert said. “Obviously there will be people that can’t handle it, but I think it has a good chance of appealing to people beyond gore freaks.“

As the trailer revealed, Saw X will be set between the events of the first two movies. “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 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 will hit theaters on September 29th.