‘Saw 8’: Jigsaw Movie’s New Title And Iconic October Release Date Confirmed [Updated]
[UPDATE at bottom of article]
The Inquisitr has been reporting for a while now that the reboot coming later this year of Saw, arguably this millennium’s most iconic horror franchise, will be entitled Saw: Legacy. Well, it turns out that was just a tentative title for Jigsaw’s heralded return, and Lionsgate recently picked out another name for Saw 8. They also confirmed a release date for the eighth Saw film, and it is sure to bring some blood-tinged nostalgia to fans of sadistic serial killer Jigsaw’s twisted “games.”
According to Movie Pilot, the new title being eyed for Saw 8 is simply “Jigsaw.” It certainly has a simplistic, yet irresistibly cryptic ring to it, and it also speaks to series’ roots, because the first installment, which came out way back in 2004, was originally set to be called “Jigsaw,” too. The name is not a definite thing, but it sounds solid, fits well into the series mythos, and may very well stick around.
Lionsgate also confirmed that Saw 8(aka Jigsaw) is in post-production and will come out on October 27. Fans of the gloriously bloody saga will definitely like that fact.
For those uninitiated to the franchise, here is a very quick overview. Saw is a series of movies focusing on Jigsaw, a serial killer played by Tobin Bell who puts some of his victims into “traps” or “games” where they have to either accomplish a painful and often perilous task or make a choice between two options to save their own life.
In the second case, the choice that will result in “the victim’s” release usually also results in someone else being maimed or killed. So I guess that technically means there were two victims, and one of them didn’t have any say in what happened to them. And that means Jigsaw’s “shotgun rehabilitation by proving how much you care about life” method is kind of bogus. Oh well; the series is sadistic and gory, and it gave life to the modern era of movies sometimes crudely referred to as “torture porn” by people who do not understand the terrified fascination that causes some to find the movies enjoyable.
The Saw movies were a fixture from 2004 to 2010. A new title was released every Halloween season, hence the excitement for the late October release date of Jigsaw. Seven installments were released, and, although the seventh was marketed as “Saw: The Final Chapter,” most of the series originals and a few exciting newbies are back for another round.
Saw fans will also no doubt be happy to learn that Saw 8(Jigsaw) is to be rated R for “grisly bloody violence and torture,” according to Bloody Disgusting. That’s pretty much total assurance that the team behind the film will not be cleaning up the so-awful-you-have-to-look carnival of terror that made the originals so darkly fun to watch.
That the films would be made “friendlier” was a real concern, too, when it was announced that original directors James Wan and Leigh Whannell would not be coming back with their brainchild. Instead, Daybreakers directors Michael and Peter Spierig will take the wheel, although original producers Oren Koules, Peter Block, and Mark Burg, as well as original series writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton will be retained.
Variety reported in January that Laura Vandervoort and Hannah Anderson will both appear in Saw 8, as will Tobin Bell. One might assume Bell’s Jigsaw killer could only appear in flashbacks since the character died in the third movie. Maxim noted that some leaked set photos reveal a grave robbery is to occur in the movie, though, so the killer’s corpse might be making an appearance as well.
Bell has been especially active in promoting the film on social media, and one of his posts in particular caused sources such as Movieweb to predict Jigsaw will feature a trap that has something to do with a roller coaster.
Next time you're on a roller coaster…look up. #SawLegacy pic.twitter.com/Zg7HJtm5wp
— Tobin Bell (@officialtobin) March 24, 2017
Whatever the new writers (Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger) come up with for the traps, fans of the originals and a new wave of Saw converts are sure to enjoy them as long as something goes horribly wrong.
What do you think of the name “Jigsaw” for Saw 8? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
[UPDATE, JUNE 22: IGN has just reported that Jigsaw has been confirmed at the title of the eighth Saw film. The Saw revival also unveiled a new logo (shown below) to distance itself from the original seven films.]
[Featured image by Featured Image by Mabarak ALThani | Flickr | Cropped and resized | CC BY-SA 2.0]
