"I want to play a game." It's been 20 years since two men woke up in an old bathroom and a diabolical plan set forth by an iconic serial killer known as Jigsaw got underway. On October 29, 2004, Saw , from the minds of director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Wannell , came out of nowhere to scare the bejeezus out of audiences to the tune of $103.
9 million worldwide on a shoestring budget of around $1 million. Inspired by The Blair Witch Project , James and Leigh's creation would go on to become the genesis of a horror film franchise that not only surpassed its inspiration but just about every one out there. With seven movies released every October until Saw 3D in 2010, the series of films pulled off something no other franchise—horror or otherwise—had ever done, surpassing Police Academy 's six back-to-back films from 1984 to 1989.
And it didn't stop there. The games began again with the release of 2017's Jigsaw , bringing the franchise's global box office receipts to a staggering $976 million. And the film tally continued to grow after Spiral: From the Book of Saw , the ninth installment based on a story idea from comedian and the movie's star Chris Rock , arrived in theaters in 2021 followed by Saw X two years later.
It looks like this won't be the last one fans saw, either as Saw XI is set to hit the big screen in September 2025. As fans wait for its debut, take a look at 20 of the most surprising secrets to come out of the Saw franchise. 1.
While the first film took.
