The “Saw” horror franchise is coming back for a ninth go-round on the big screen with the upcoming “Spiral,” starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. Rock came up with the idea himself for this reimagining, the new trailer for which suggests the “Saw” movies are heading away from their gore-obsessed horror roots and into serial killer territory a la David Fincher’s “Seven.”
Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Zoie Palmer co-star in the movie. “Spiral” is directed by franchise veteran Darren Lynn Bousman, who wrote and directed 2005’s “Saw II” and helmed sequels “Saw III” and “Saw IV.” The script was penned by “Jigsaw” writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger.
Lionsgate’s official synopsis for “Spiral” reads: “A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in ‘Spiral,’ the terrifying new chapter from the book of ‘Saw.’ Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Jackson), brash detective Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Banks (Rock) and his rookie partner (Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.”
The long-running “Saw’ franchise got its start in 2004 with the original film directed by James Wan, his feature directing debut that burst out of Sundance to become a box-office hit, making more than $103 million globally off a $1 million budget. There was a new installment of “Saw” every year between 2004 and 2010, before the franchise took a seven-year hiatus and returned in 2017 with “Jigsaw.” The franchise has proved lucrative at the box office for Lionsgate. Seven of the eight released “Saw” films have grossed over $100 million worldwide. “Saw II” remains the top domestic grosser with $87 million.
The road to release for “Spiral” has been a bumpy one given the pandemic. The film was originally scheduled to be released on October 23, 2020, but was moved up to May 15, 2020 to take advantage of the summer movie season. When the pandemic hit, Lionsgate pushed “Spiral” to the May 21, 2021 slot, which was originally going to be used for the launch of the now-delayed “John Wick Chapter 4.” With theaters reopening, Lionsgate has bumped “Spiral” to its current release date of May 14.
Watch the official trailer for “Spiral” below.
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