Saw 11 Update Is Great News For The Horror Franchise’s Future

One specific detail about the upcoming sequel in the Saw franchise, Saw XI, is encouraging in regard to whether or not the latest entry can live up to the high quality benchmark set by its predecessor, Saw X. The 2023 installment acted as both a direct sequel to the original Saw and a prequel to the later entries, and it saw the return of Tobin Bell’s John Kramer and Shawnee Smith’s Amanda Young. Saw X notably achieved a high benchmark for quality, as it achieved the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of all 10 movies.

Some early story details are available for Saw XI, and it appears that the next chapter will be a direct follow-up to Saw X. It will see the return of John Kramer, Amanda Young, and the new character, Cecilia Pederson. Besides the next movie continuing the highly successful storyline laid out in Saw X, another detail about the film’s production is encouraging when it comes to whether the next sequel can match its predecessor’s overall quality.

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Saw XI: Confirmation, Release Date, & Everything We Know

Saw XI is officially on the way, and there are already a ton of terrifying updates about the latest installment in the epic horror franchise.

Saw X’s Director Returning For Saw 11 Is Great News For The Franchise

Kevin Greutert revitalized the franchise, and should be able to produce another quality chapter.

Veteran horror director Kevin Greutert will return to direct Saw XI after leading the highly successful Saw X. Greutert has built a career in horror, acting as editor, executive producer, or director for various entries in several noteworthy horror franchises, including The Strangers, Leatherface, and several other chapters in the Saw franchise. Greutert directed the critical failures Saw VI and Saw 3D, when the franchise’s ongoing plot was at its most convoluted, before finding success with the simplified and story-driven Saw X.

Greutert’s return to the director’s chair bodes well for Saw XI, especially given that the sequel is set to continue the story that Greutert began in Saw X. Greutert’s knowledge of the franchise’s lore, and particularly his deference for the character and story of Jigsaw, shone through in Saw X. Maintaining the same leadership from sequel to sequel should yield consistency in the narrative, and while Greutert is sure to progress the story, he knows first-hand what made Saw X successful, and should be able to replicate it at least to some degree.

How Kevin Greutert Can Help Saw 11 Avoid Past Sequels’ Mistakes

Focusing on a quality story instead of convoluted twists can keep the franchise moving in a positive direction.

Beginning with the original, the Saw franchise’s bread and butter has always been twist endings and character reveals. The series has played fast and loose with the timeline, resurrecting some characters and retconning other elements, leading to a confusing central narrative that sacrificed quality story-telling for shock value. At times, it was even confusing who the audience was intended to be rooting for, and one of Saw X‘s biggest changes was making John Kramer the definitive hero of the story.

Making the next entry a continuation of Saw X is the best decision possible, as it continues what made its predecessor a hit. By stripping the story down in Saw X and focusing on Kramer, Greutert created the consistency that the previous entries in the franchise were missing. Greutert will need to focus on maintaining that consistency in Saw XI if he is to have any chance of holding on to the necessary rejuvenation that Saw X brought to the franchise.