‘Saw XI’ officially removed from 2025 release calendar
Saw XI, the upcoming sequel to the cult horror franchise, has been removed from Lionsgate’s release calendar for 2025.
The reported sequel within the series, which was due to be released on September 26th, has now been removed from that date. The news comes after a writer on the film, Patrick Melton, told The Hollywood Reporter that there had been “inter-squabbling” between producers and Lionsgate.
Earlier this week, Lionsgate shared a teaser statement from Billy the Puppet, the ventriloquist dummy used by Jigsaw, saying, “I’ve seen the rumors. They say it’s Game Over. You all should know me better than that. The game is never over.”
In a dual release, The Strangers: Chapter 2 is now set for theatrical release on September 26th. Madeleine Petsch will reprise her role in the sequel after starring in The Strangers: Chapter 1. The original film was released in cinemas last May and earned $48 million at the global box office. This will mark the second feature in the trilogy that has been planned to relaunch the franchise, with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman starring in the original The Strangers film in 2008.
While The Strangers: Chapter 2 is now taking Saw XI’s release date, Melton previously shared that he and his partner Marcus Dunstan had completed a draft of the film in May 2024. However, Melton explained that the project was “stalled at a managerial level”, with an obstacle that had “nothing to do with the creative”.
Melton added, “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.”
He compared the subject of the film to Saw VI, which focused on Jigsaw getting revenge on health insurance executives, something that became increasingly relevant after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
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