The Saw producers regret killing Jigsaw so early

As Saw X hits theatres worldwide, many people may be wondering the same thing: how can this franchise reach its tenth movie when its main character died such a long time ago? Jigsaw himself died way back in 2006 with the release of the third movie, but through a series of flashbacks and time jumps, Tobin Bell, who plays the infamous serial killer John Kramer, was still able to appear in consecutive movies.

However, with Kramer dying so early on, the exploration of Jigsaw’s endeavors is seriously limited and almost impossible to do without going back in time. A lot of fans believe that it would have been better to never have killed Jigsaw off at all. As it turns out, the producers may feel the same way.

In a recent interview with IndieWire ahead of the release of Saw X, executive producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who have been a part of the franchise since the first movie, admitted that killing John Kramer so early in is the one creative decision they regret. "If I had to do it again, I might not have killed Tobin Bell in Saw 3," Burg said with a laugh. "That might have been a mistake."

Luckily for us, Jigsaw’s death didn't stop the franchise from growing, with seven more movies being released after that in a series of exciting twists and slightly confusing storylines. In hindsight, you'd think it would have been easier to keep Kramer alive for the benefit of the franchise, but that’s just it, the Saw team never expected the saga to last so long.

The long-time producer continued, "We’re superstitious, so we’ve never talked about the following Saw until the previous movie opens. So if this movie works, we’ll sit down," Burg said, before adding: "We left it open-ended, and I want to see what happens next."

Now almost 20 years after the release of the first Saw movie, Jigsaw is back. In order to star Kramer once again, Saw X creators made the very intelligent decision to set the new release between the events of the first and second Saw movies, this way Kramer is alive and (kind of) well enough to set up his traps and continue with his ’work’. Saw X follows the slayer on a road to revenge as he sets out to punish a group of so-called medical professionals who have swindled him out of a promised miracle cancer cure.

Saw X is out now in theatres worldwide. For more on Jigsaw, check out our guide on how to watch the Saw movies in chronological order. And if you are still craving more of the fear factor, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way in 2023 and beyond.

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.