The Saw X Producers Never Considered Another Director For The Latest Film [Exclusive]

Would you like to play a game? Which ongoing Hollywood franchise has the most elaborate mythology and enough soapy twists to put a long-running telenovela to shame? The answer is "Saw," the soon-to-be 20-year-old grisly horror property that launched James Wan's directing career before evolving into a scary season staple back in the aughts. This series of flesh-tearing morality plays has seen its share of dips and peaks in quality over the decades. However, the consensus among "Saw" fans is that "Saw VI" (i.e. the one that takes on the failings of the U.S. healthcare industry) is one of the best — if not the best — entries so far.

Hence, it only feels right that "Saw VI" helmer and longtime "Saw" franchise editor Kevin Greutert returned to direct "Saw X," the latest chapter and a film that deals explicitly with medical malpractice. Winding the clock back to a point between the first "Saw" and "Saw II," the midquel sends a still-living John Kramer (Tobin Bell) to Mexico in search of an experimental procedure that will, supposedly, cure his rapidly-advancing brain cancer. When it turns out to be a hoax, the notorious Jigsaw killer unleashes his twisted brand of justice on the perpetrators, giving them a taste of their own medicine (like anyone reading this thought I would avoid using that pun).

Speaking to /Film's Jacob Hall, "Saw X" producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules confirmed "Saw VI" was, as Koules put it, "really the inspiration for this movie. [...] If you remember, there's a scene [in 'Saw VI'] where he talks about getting the insurance company to cover experimental treatment. That's really the basis for this movie, is the experimental treatment." That's also why the producers agreed that Greutert was "our only choice" to direct "Saw X," Koules added.

In his review of the film, Jacob noted that "Saw X" is very much an installment for the "dedicated weirdos, a group to which I happily belong, [who] come for the increasingly interwoven plot threads and testy character dynamics." This was another reason why the film's producers knew they needed Greutert at the helm. Having already edited six "Saw" films in addition to directing two (he also helmed "Saw 3D" — hey, nobody's perfect), he's as well-versed in the franchise's ever-increasingly convoluted lore as anyone else is.

"We went after him hard because we wanted him for this moment," said Burg. "There were people at Lionsgate that were going, 'Oh, you should meet this director, that director, so-and-so's done this amazing...,' and we're like, 'No, we want Kevin.'" What with "Saw X" being a midquel, Koules noted it was all the more important that whoever called the shots be able to keep track of the property's continuity (lest they incur the wrath of steadfast "Saw" fans):

"We have to really thread a needle for people that are fans. They know. You can't fool them, you can't just plunk them in and go, 'Hey, it's in the timeline three weeks after 'Saw 1.” You need to make sure that every I is dotted, every T is crossed, so nobody can go back and say, 'Well, that doesn't work in your timeline. That doesn't work.' You needed someone like Kevin, who's either edited or directed every single movie, to be the guardian of the timeline imperfection. Yes, we were asked to meet other directors. We didn't do it. Truthfully."

Judging by the film's enthusiastic reception, it seems they made the right call. See for yourselves by catching "Saw X," which is now in theaters.