Tobin Bell is Returning to Play the Scheming Jigsaw for the Untitled Next ‘Saw’

Tobin Bell as John Kramer / Jigsaw in James Wan's 'Saw.'

Since James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s first ‘Saw’ movie way back in 2004, the crafty, trap-setting killer John Kramer – better known as “Jigsaw” – has been kidnapping and murdering people in fiendish fashion.

Even his death from a slashed throat in ‘Saw III’ didn’t stop him; he continued to posthumously oversee his schemes through recordings and videos. And then there were the flashbacks that explored his tragic history and the reasons he punishes others (or has them make tough choices based on their dodgy moral behavior, depending on how you look at it).

His return might not be as surprising as thought, though – writer Josh Stolberg teased Jigsaw’s return in the new movie, writing, “What I can promise you is that this is gonna make John Kramer fans very happy!!!” on social media last December.

How he’ll factor into ‘Saw X’ (or whatever they decide to call it) is anyone’s guess at this point. Will he show up somehow back from the dead? Will it be his heretofore-unknown twin brother? Unlikely.

“What a thrill to be reuniting with Tobin Bell,” say producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules in a statement. “His performance as John Kramer is part of the magic that made this franchise a phenomenon and his character is an active part of this film.”

Tobin Bell as Billy Ford in 2021's 'A Father's Legacy.'

The ‘Saw’ franchise has become a big money-spinner for Lionsgate, which has pumped out nine main entries and also the mythology-expanding ‘Spiral’, which starred Chris Rock and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. And no, in case anyone was reaching for the easy joke, the villain was not Will Smith (you’d have had to have a time machine to make that work, since the Oscars slap didn’t happen until 2022).

Together, the main movies have earned more than $1 billion in box office and retail income, which is not bad for a franchise that is relatively cheap to produce. The original movie, for example, was made for $1.2 million.

Those who have worked on the various movies have gone on to successful careers in horror and beyond, not the least Wan, who is behind both another massive horror franchise in the ‘Conjuring’ movies, has directed big films in other genres such as both ‘Aquaman’ outings and a ‘Fast & Furious’ entry and has become quite the producer, backing a variety of other movies.

And it has also gone on to be a regular favorite beyond the movie screen, with a live experience touring several cities and appearing for years as part of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.

The next ‘Saw’ movie will be directed by Kevin Greutert, who has been with the franchise since the beginning. He edited the first five movies before stepping up to direct ‘Saw VI’ and ‘Saw 3D’. He went off to direct his own movies but did edit ‘Jigsaw’ and acted as an executive producer on ‘Spiral’.

‘Saw X’ is shooting and will head to theaters on October 27th next year – just in time for Halloween.

Jigsaw in 2004's 'Saw.'