Saw XI removed from Lionsgate’s release schedule; The Strangers: Chapter 2 will take its place

Given the drama surrounding Saw XI, it should come as no surprise that Lionsgate has removed the film from its release schedule. It was previously slated to hit theaters on September 26th, but the project has been held up for close to a year. Renny Harlin’s The Strangers: Chapter 2 will take over the date.

Given the critical and commercial success of Saw X, it was a no-brainer that the studio quickly got the ball rolling on a sequel. Kevin Greutert was slated to return to direct from a script by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. However, reports emerged last week that the project had been cancelled. “It’s totally dead. It’s 100% over. Almost a year now,” said the source. “Everything went sideways in January 2024 … the producers started fighting.“

Melton later added they they hadn’t heard anything about the project since May. “It’s stalled at a managerial level. It has nothing to do with the creative or anything else. There’s higher-level things at play,” he said. “Saw XI may or may not be made, but we have a very timely story in it, and I hope it gets made just because of that. It taps into the same themes of Saw VI, where you’re a citizen, you feel angry and frustrated with something, you feel like you can’t do anything, and John Kramer’s going to do it. The reason it’s held up is just, there’s inter-squabbling between producers and Lionsgate. They just can’t quite get on the same page.“

It’s frustrating to think that one of horror’s biggest modern franchises has been scrapped (at least for now) because of the higher-ups’ bickering. However, Billy the Puppet said the following in a statement: “I’ve seen the rumors. They say it’s Game Over. You all should know me better than that. The game is never over.”

As for The Strangers: Chapter 2, the second installment of Harlin’s trilogy will continue to follow Maya (Madelaine Petsch) as she’s stalked by the mysterious strangers. “In this case, we see that she survives, and just when she thinks she’s going to be okay, things get worse, because the Strangers just won’t give up,” Harlin teased. “So chapters two and three go in completely different directions than the first chapter, and they become more epic.” You can check out our review of the first film right here.

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