A new image from the ninth film in the Saw franchise, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, has been released.
The still from the upcoming film comes from Empire and features star Chris Rock, who plays brazen detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Burns, as he investigates a red spiral insignia left by a killer at the scene of the crime. The red spiral is recognizable from franchise killer Jigsaw’s mask, with the spirals appearing on each of his cheeks.
It is unclear if the killer in Spiral is the same Jigsaw that has been seen throughout the other Saw films, but co-writer John Stolberg has confirmed that the film takes place in the same timeline as the other eight Saw films, writing, "The film is NOT a reboot. It is canon."
Rock’s inclusion in the upcoming horror film came as a surprise to many, given his typical role as a comedic actor in films such as Grown Ups and Madagascar. However, Rock is not only starring in the new Saw film but also co-wrote, executive produced and even pitched the film to Lionsgate. "Chris came in with a thriller concept," director Darren Lynn Bousman said. "He pitched this very elaborate, dense idea. We wanted it to feel much more like Seven. But it has so many ties to the mythos of Saw."
Bousman, who directed previous installments in the Saw franchise, also said that Spiral will not feature as much extraneous blood and gore as his prior endeavors. "I was a younger person," he said. "Gore and violence was the gimmick, I think. Gore and violence is no longer a gimmick – it just serves the story. This is much more about character, tension and fear."
Spiral was originally scheduled for release Oct. 23, 2020, before being moved up to May 15, 2020. Lionsgate then delayed the film a full year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first poster and synopsis were released alongside the first trailer in February 2020, five months after filming had wrapped.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and produced by Mark Burg and Oren Koules, Spiral: From the Book of Saw stars Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols and Zoie Palmer. The film's script was written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger and is set to release on May 21, 2021.
Source: Empire