20 Mind-Blowing Facts About The Saw Franchise

4. Cary Elwes Was Meant To Return As Dr. Gordon

Spiral from the Book of Saw Chris Rock
Lionsgate

In Saw's conclusion, we see Dr. Gordon crawl out of the bathroom to look for help. Sadly, the doctor was nowhere to be seen in the sequel. Or the next one. Or the next one. In fact, we didn't see Cary Elwes' character again for six years when he returned in Saw 3D. But why did it take so long?

And the answer is - legal disputes. Elwes' contract stated he would be paid 1% of the profit for the first film. Since it went on to earn over $100 million, he should've walked away with at least a million. However, he was only paid $70,853; less than 15% of his promised fee. Until he was paid the full amount, Elwes refused to have anything to do with the horror franchise. Only after the case was settled out of court years later did the British actor agree to return.

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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