'Spiral' Trailer: Chris Rock Opens 'The Book Of Saw'

Spiral, AKA Spiral: From the Book of Saw, was originally supposed to unleash its bloody horrors last summer. The pandemic nixed that idea, but now, with an end (hopefully) in sight, the sequel is ready to hit the big screen. This latest entry in the Saw franchise stands out because it comes from an unexpected source: Chris Rock. Not only does Rock star in the film, he also is the one who came up with the story, too. Here, Rock plays a cop investigating a series of murders that may or may not be connected to the infamous serial killer/elaborate trap builder Jigsaw. Watch the Spiral trailer below.

The Saw franchise lives on with Spiral, the latest entry in the gory series. Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV, is back in the director's chair, working from a script by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, the team that wrote the most recent entry, Jigsaw. And the idea for Stolberg and Goldfinger's script comes from none other than Chris Rock.

"When Chris Rock came to us and described in chilling detail his fantastic vision that reimagines and spins-off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, we were all-in," Joe Drake, Chairman of Saw studio Lionsgate, said when the project was first announced. "Saw is one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all-time and it's one of Lionsgate's most successful film series. This upcoming film will still be as mind-bending and intense as all the previous Saw films. Chris conceived this idea and it will be completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision, and passion for this classic horror franchise."

Here's a synopsis:

A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw. Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city's gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer's morbid game.

I'm a horror fan but I never entirely got into the Saw saga. I've seen all the films, and while I appreciate their commitment to building a ridiculous, complicated mythology, I've never felt the urge to revisit the series the way I do other horror franchises. Despite that, I'm very curious about this entry, just because I want to see what Rock has brought to the story.

Spiral, which stars Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson, opens May 14, 2021.