“Saw XI” Production A Train Wreck Behind the Scenes

by Annika March 18, 2025

“Saw XI”, the next instalment in the popular Saw franchise, seems to be stuck in limbo due to a lack of progress. Writer Patrick Melton reports zero advances since a draft was submitted in early 2024, attributing this delay to higher-level issues at a managerial level. Meanwhile, Lionsgate remains non-responsive as to the details surrounding the film’s future.

“Saw XI” Production A Train Wreck Behind the Scenes

– Screenwriters behind the sequel of the horror franchise, “Saw XI,” Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, have reported a lack of progress on the project since submitting their draft in spring 2024, attributing the delay to management issues at Lionsgate.
– “Saw XI” was initially set for a September 2024 release with Kevin Greutert as director, however, it’s been postponed by a year to Sept. 26, 2025 and it remains unclear if Greutert is still associated with the project.
– Despite the standstill, the team says they have a compelling, timely story lined up in line with the socio-political themes of “Saw VI,” but controversies between producers and Lionsgate have prevented the project from moving forward.

The future of Saw XI, the next instalment in the popular franchise, seems precarious as per recent reports from The Hollywood Reporter. Since the submission of their draft in the Spring of 2024, scribes Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan have heard little to nothing about the progress of the project.

Saw XI’s scripting process has been put on hold in the management stage, according to Melton, a regular contributor to the Saw series since Saw IV in 2007. He asserts that creative conflicts have no part to play in the delay, hinting instead at higher-level complications.

In December 2023, Lionsgate stated that Kevin Greutert, a key player in the franchise, would helm the Saw XI, aiming for a launch in September 2024. However, a delay led to a rescheduled premiere in September 2025. Having previously directed the successful Saw X, it is uncertain if Greutert is still tied to the forthcoming Saw XI project. Lionsgate has refrained from addressing the matter publicly.

Despite the impending difficulties, Melton is optimistic about the conceptual groundwork laid for Saw XI, drawing parallels with the socially relevant theme of Saw VI, released in 2009. The aim is to focus on current issues, just like Saw VI did by targeting health insurance executives in the story, reflecting the controversy after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s assassination.

Melton further explains that while the future of Saw XI is uncertain, the project with its contextually relevant narrative deserves a chance. He invokes the spirit of the original franchise, connecting the audience’s feeling of helplessness and frustration in society to the actions of the central character John Kramer, aka Jigsaw.

Tensions between the producers and Lionsgate are to blame for the postponement of Saw XI, Melton adds, indicating their inability to reach an agreement.

Reflecting on past films, Melton brings up the release of Saw VI clashing with Paranormal Activity’s release, leading to a lowered collection despite praise from critics mainly due to its focus on healthcare. He commends the ease of the production process given the annual releases of the Saw series.

Mark Burg, a producer with long-standing ties to the Saw franchise, reminds THR that he too had managed not only Saw VI but also John Q – a 2002 thriller starring Denzel Washington, dealing with the issue of healthcare.

Melton reveals his shared college years with the recently murdered United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson at the University of Iowa. He fondly remembers Thompson as an ordinary student, friendly and easy-going, indicating little about the future storm surrounding healthcare.