Ever since the first film in the series arrived in theaters in 2004, the Saw franchise has been an ever-present fixture in the realm of horror. Over the course of ten features, multiple shorts, its own reality series, and countless pieces of tie-in media and merchandise, Saw has maintained not just the trappings and tropes that define so much of it, but the same overarching narrative.
At least, that is the case for now, although it won’t be for all that much longer. In fact, Saw is currently heading towards two separate reimaginings of the franchise that will be released via vastly different mediums. Apart from the hotly-anticipated eleventh film in the series, Saw: Genesis from Broken Mirror Games and Anshar Studios has been making quite the buzz in industry and genre circles, and not just because of the utterly horrifying announcement trailer.
What Is Saw: Genesis All About?
Fans got their first glimpse of Saw: Genesis when the game was announced on June 5. The announcement itself came alongside a short trailer showcasing what fans can expect from the title both in terms of gameplay and story. In terms of the former, Saw: Genesis will employ an asymmetrical setup that sees one player take on the role of the Judge while three Accused attempt to escape the villain’s makeshift prison.
The Accused will have to navigate a labyrinth filled with all manner of traps, pitfalls, and brutal puzzles that will require players to frequently sacrifice pieces of themselves in order to continue. The Judge, on the other hand, will be able to employ just about every tactic imaginable, ranging from hallucinogenic gases to paralytic toxins to their very own Accomplice who can be called upon to step in and personally drag an Accused away for a stay in one of the game’s Rehabilitation Traps.
As exciting as all of that is, the narrative behind Saw: Genesis is of infinitely greater importance, especially for longtime and die-hard fans of the franchise. This is due to the fact that, rather than featuring Tobin Bell’s John Kramer or one of his Acolytes at the heart of its story, Saw: Genesis and its Judge predate everything else fans have seen by nearly a century.
Where Saw: Genesis Fits In the Wider Franchise Timeline
As noted by the official game description for Saw: Genesis, the upcoming game is set in the aftermath of the First World War, with the Judge serving as a far-off predecessor to John Kramer who ultimately inspired his murderous crusade as Jigsaw in the modern era. This completely upends just about everything that fans have learned about Kramer’s downward spiral and emergence as the infamous serial killer, though not necessarily in a way that will force them to relearn the lore of their favorite franchise.
Instead of actually rewriting history from the ground up, Saw: Genesis is set in its own alternate version of the franchise, one in which the Judge’s works were discovered decades later by John Kramer and became the basis for the events that followed. This would obviously carry major implications for the mainline film series if it were introduced as canon, and would likely lead to a veritable army of irate fans decrying the game for years to come.
At the same time, the ideas that Saw: Genesis are genuinely intriguing, and more than deserve being explored outside of the established Saw timeline. With any luck, Saw: Genesis will go on to establish its own separate version of the original story that opens up horrifying new avenues to be explored in future updates, DLC, or follow-up video games. So far, the franchise has struggled to offer players an experience that captures the essence of Saw without ultimately devolving into a series of overtly grotesque mini-games, yet everything about Saw: Genesis seems to address any concerns gamers might have while also feeling original enough to warrant serious critical attention.
Why Saw: Genesis Is Exactly What the Franchise Needs
All things considered, there is no net negative that can come of Saw: Genesis under any circumstances. At the absolute worst, the game releases to lackluster reviews and an underwhelmed player base who can’t quite get over the idea of rewriting franchise history in its entirety. At best, Saw: Genesis is an overwhelming success that sells millions of copies and, more importantly, eases fans into the idea that it is okay if their favorite film series lets go of its narrative roots in favor of returning to those pertaining to its most essential themes.
Back in October, Blumhouse co-founder Jason Blum confirmed what fans had been suspecting for quite some time when he admitted that the next Saw film won’t be a sequel or prequel to any of the previous entries in the series. “It’s really hard to make ten movies in a franchise,” Blum explained.”I don’t take that away from the original series’ producers. And I’m grateful to them for allowing us to continue.”
Blum continued, “My creative outlook is what I always preach. Get the people who made the magic in the first place more involved. [Franchise co-creator and original director] James Wan will be hugely involved. That’s how we’re going to reinvent it.”
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Although details remain tightly under wraps regarding what the next Saw film will entail, everything that fans have heard so far points towards a relatively drastic reboot or reimagining of the franchise as a whole. It would also make perfect sense for the series to return to where things all began considering that, after Lionsgate’s original plans for Saw XI fell through in 2025, the rights to the franchise were purchased from Twisted Pictures by Blumhouse, which merged with Wan’s Atomic Monster the year prior.
With that, James Wan is now back at the helm of Saw, and he clearly has big plans for the future. Wan previously stated, “Coming back to this world with a fresh perspective is both thrilling and deeply personal. For me, this will mark a significant creative return to the Saw franchise for the first time since the early days, and I’m very much looking forward to embracing the original spirit whilst pushing the legacy forward in bold, unexpected ways.”
Hopefully, Saw: Genesis will arrive and prove to gamers and fans that the franchise can enter completely new territory with original characters and concepts that cut right to the heart of what the series is without shedding any of what made it so great in the first place. And, if it does, then the next Saw film should have no problem winning over audiences no matter how far it veers from its reverse bear trap-laden beginnings.
Saw: Genesis does not currently have a planned release date.
- Cast
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Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes, Shawnee Smith, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
- Created by
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James Wan, Leigh Whannell