Spiral Trivia | 70 facts about the ninth film in the Saw film series

“Spiral” is a horror film that serves as the ninth installment in the “Saw” franchise and a new take on the popular material.

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the new “Saw” film.

Spiral is a 2021 American horror film
It is also known as Spiral: From the Book of Saw
The film serves as the ninth installment in the Saw film series
It is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
This is his fourth film of the series
Spiral is written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger
The film stars Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson
It follows police efforts to stop a Jigsaw copycat killer
The original creators of the series, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, serve as executive producers alongside Rock
Talks of another Saw installment began after the release of “Jigsaw” in 2017, with Chris Rock wanting to branch out into the horror genre
The Spierig Brothers, who directed “Jigsaw”, were interested in returning for another film but eventually decided against it
The project was officially announced in May 2019
Rock polished a script by Stolberg and Goldfinger
The rest of the cast joined in July
Film took place in Toronto through August
The film was originally scheduled to be released in May 2020
Spiral was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
It was theatrically released in the United States on May 14, 2021, by Lionsgate
The film received mixed reviews from critics
Many praised the franchise’s new direction
They were divided on whether it had fully succeeded in reinventing it
According to Chris Rock, the origins of Spiral came from a chance meeting with the vice chairman of Lionsgate, Michael Burns, at a friend’s wedding in Brazil, and he felt doing something in the horror genre would be a new avenue to take in his career, though he planned to include some comedic elements in the film
Rock approached Lionsgate with his ideas of extending the franchise, who became very interested in the concept
Lionsgate’s CEO Joe Drake said that Rock’s idea was “completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision and passion for this classic horror franchise”
By January 2018, industry rumors had said that Lionsgate had begun discussions of a ninth Saw film, for which the Spierig Brothers would not be returning
The directors confirmed in an interview with Screen Rant that their film laid the ground work for future sequels
By April 2018, Twisted Pictures was developing a sequel with Jigsaw writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger
An early iteration of the script had Rock’s character related to Danny Glover’s David Tapp from the first film
Stolberg and Goldfinger opted not to go in this direction as it “didn’t pass the smell test”
On May 16, 2019, the film was officially in pre-production
Former series director Darren Lynn Bousman returned to helm the film
Along with series veterans Mark Burg and Oren Koules as producers
Rock was involved as an executive producer, in addition to writing the story treatment
The original Saw creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell, along with Daniel Heffner, joined Rock as executive producers
Stolberg and Goldfinger were confirmed as scriptwriters
With the announcement, Rock stated, “I’ve been a fan of Saw since the first film in 2004. I am excited by the opportunity to take this to a really intense and twisted new place”
Burg and Koules said that Rock’s treatment of Saw was comparable to what Eddie Murphy had done for buddy cop films in 48 Hrs., giving the Saw series a “completely fresh perspective”
Likewise, Bousman stated that in comparison to previous entries, Spiral included less violence and gore, expressing the conviction that the gore and violence were the gimmick for him back when he started working in the Saw films
Both elements now serve the story, which focuses more on character, tension and fea
As the film’s killer is a Jigsaw copycat who differentiates from the original, it was decided to replace Billy the Puppet with a new puppet
As Bousman felt that if the original Jigsaw is replaced, the original puppet should go and be replaced with a new one so the new killer can’t be compared
Stolberg also confirmed that the ninth installment would exist in the same canon as the previous eight films
It, also, would not be a reboot or a direct sequel to “Jigsaw”
On July 8, 2019, principal photography commenced in Toronto, Ontario, under the working title of The Organ Donor, with cinematographer Jordan Oram
Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella, and Marisol Nichols were announced to be starring in the film
Lionsgate’s CEO Joe Drake stated, “We think Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock along with Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols make this film completely special in the Saw canon and we can’t wait to unleash this unexpected and sinister new story on fans of this franchise. This is next level of Saw on full tilt”
According to Bousman, a scene featuring a trap had to be cut from the film due to it being “too gnarly”
On August 28, 2019, filming officially wrapped up
During post-production, editing was completed by Dev Singh
Spiral was released in the United States on May 14, 2021, by Lionsgate
The film was originally scheduled to be released on October 23, 2020, but was moved up to May 15, 2020
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film’s release was later delayed to May 21, 2021, taking the spot previously scheduled for John Wick: Chapter 4
It was later pushed up to May 14, 2021, as theaters began reopening
The film was known under the working title The Organ Donor, until the name Spiral was leaked to the press on January 22, 2020, along with Mongrel Media as the Canadian distributor
The first teaser poster and trailer, released on February 5, 2020
These confirmed Spiral as the title of the film
In the United States and Canada, Spiral was released alongside Those Who Wish Me Dead
It is projected to gross $11 to 13 million in its opening weekend
Critics praised Spiral’s “attempts at changing up the franchise formula” but said it “ultimately falls short of giving Saw the major boost it needed to regain relevance”
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 40% rating
Based on 138 reviews
With an average rating of 5.2/10
The site’s critical consensus reads “Spiral: From the Book of Saw suggests an interesting new direction for the Saw franchise, even if the gory sum is rather less than its parts”
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, it has a weighted average of 39 out of 100
Based on 29 reviews
Spiral received “generally unfavorable reviews” on Metacritic
In April 2021, a sequel film, titled Saw X, was confirmed to be in development with Twisted Pictures
However, Bousman stated that it was a premature announcement that surprised him and the film’s producers
He said, “Just because we made Spiral doesn’t mean Saw ceases to exist. Just because Spiral is here, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a Saw IX. This is not the ninth film in the Saw franchise. There easily could be a Saw IX that follows Jigsaw. I think they’re waiting to see how Spiral goes and how audiences respond to determine what happens next”
In an April 2021 interview with Deadline Hollywood, Lionsgate Television chairman Kevin Beggs announced that Lionsgate TV is in early talks to develop a television series based on Spiral, alongside Mark Burg and Oren Koules’ Twisted Television productions