10 Cancelled Horror Movies We'll Never Get To See

2. Saw XI

Saw XI
Lionsgate Films

Saw XI's cancellation was deeply unexpected, which is fitting for a franchise famous for its plot twists.

To be fair, this isn't the first time a Saw entry has been axed. Although a direct continuation was planned for 2017's Jigsaw and 2021's Spiral, they were canned after both of those instalments underperformed.

But things seemed different after Saw X. The tenth entry was so well received, many consider it the best instalment since the original film. Serving as a direct sequel to Saw, Saw X was the first time the overarching villain, John Kramer (Tobin Bell), served as the main character.

Though Bell's performance has always been a highlight, his appearance in each film was minimal, so it was refreshing to see him in the spotlight for once. As a result, the future for Saw was promising for the first time in years.

Or so it seemed.

Initially slated for a September 2024 release, Saw XI's production faced numerous challenges that led to it being delayed by a full year. Writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan submitted a draft in mid-2024, but that didn't align with the producers' vision, contributing to the sequel's stagnation. 

With nobody involved seeing eye-to-eye, Saw XI was scrapped and it release slot was recently replaced with The Strangers: Chapter 2.

Obviously, this shouldn't spell the end of Saw for good. But for the moment, it's Game Over for Saw XI.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows