Saw X pulled off a tricky bit of franchise math. By setting its story between the first two movies, it brought Tobin Bell’s John Kramer back without having to undo the death that has shaped nearly every sequel since. The result gave fans more time with Jigsaw and the highest rated Saw movie to date according to Rotten Tomatoes, but it also made the question of what came next a lot more interesting.

For a while, the answer appeared to be Saw XI. A direct follow-up to Saw X was announced, only to stall and eventually fall apart amid disagreements behind the scenes. Blumhouse subsequently acquired a stake in the franchise, bringing original creator James Wan back into the fold, but it was unclear who would actually make the next movie.

Now we have a name: Mike P. Nelson will direct a new, currently untitled Saw movie. The announcement was made in a video shared on social media today, but little more is offered aside from the confirmation a new movie is happening. The project has yet to receive an official title or release date, so it remains unclear whether it will revisit any ideas from the scrapped Saw XI or take Jigsaw’s story somewhere else entirely.

Who Is The New ‘Saw’ Director, Mike P. Nelson?

Nelson has some experience stepping into horror franchises with passionate fan bases. He directed the 2021 Wrong Turn movie and the 2025 Silent Night, Deadly Night, two movies that gave him room to approach familiar names from a different angle. Now he’s taking on a series whose continuity has become almost as elaborate as its traps. That continuity is part of what makes this announcement intriguing. Saw X found a way to center Kramer again, while the planned follow-up would have continued that story. With that version of Saw XI scrapped, Nelson’s appointment confirms the franchise is moving forward, but it doesn’t yet tell us whether Bell will return or where the new movie will sit in the timeline.

Wan’s involvement adds another question: what does he want Saw to be next? The original movie worked because its trap was also a mystery, and every answer made the situation worse. Nelson seems like a strong choice to bring some of that unease back, as Wrong Turn is an effective horror movie because it understands how terrifying it is to realize you’ve misread the danger you’re in. If he can bring that same instinct to Saw XI, the next movie could make us dread the moment a trap closes as much as what happens afterward.

For the moment, the title, cast, story, and release date have not been announced.

via Collider