A Saw X producer has explained the return of Shawnee Smith as former Jigsaw victim Amanda Young. The movie, which takes place in the time between the events of 2004’s Saw and its first of nine sequels Saw II, also features the return of Tobin Bell as John Kramer (who is better known by the moniker Jigsaw), who died in Saw III along with Amanda. The movie follows Amanda and John teaming up to use a variety of tortuous traps to offer redemption to a group of scammers in Mexico City who pretended they could cure John of his cancer.
Entertainment Weekly recently sat down with producer Oren Koules to discuss the new Saw sequel. When asked why the decision was made to bring Amanda back, the producer reflected that the timeline of the movie allowed for her to return and shared that she has been a fan-favorite character. With those two factors in play, “it seemed natural to have the two of them together again.” Read Koules’ full quote below:
It’s after Saw I, and she’s lived through the trap. She’s been reborn or whatever, so time-wise it worked. She’s a character that the fans absolutely adore and so it seemed natural to have the two of them together again.
Amanda’s History in the Saw Franchise Explained
Amanda’s Saw X return is not only an appeal to fans of her character, but an important and integral element of the lore of the Saw franchise. Over the course of the franchise, Amanda is a key character in providing audiences with an understanding of John Kramer’s work and motivations. This all began with a brief appearance in the original Saw, which showcased her surviving a reverse bear trap that had been placed over her head and revealing that the situation helped her overcome her drug addiction.
Amanda returned as a more prominent character in Saw II. There, she was a participant in a multi-person trap that involved her hunting for a key in a pit of syringes, though it was eventually revealed that she had been working with Jigsaw the whole time, as her experience in his trap led her to become his apprentice. Although she died in Saw III when she failed Jigsaw’s final test to become his successor, flashbacks in that movie and future sequels revealed that she had been working alongside Jigsaw for some time, including during the events of the original movie.
Because of its position in the Saw franchise timeline, Saw X needed to have Amanda return to maintain a consistent continuity. However, it was also necessary to have her return so she could continue being a foil to Jigsaw, who is given a more central focus in the new movie. In addition to showcasing the ethical opposition to some of Jigsaw’s methods that will eventually lead to her demise, Saw X offers the closest look yet at the way the pair operated as a team during the events leading up to Saw III.
