Record-Shattering Success: New Saw Film Smashes Franchise's 13-Year Box Office Record, On Track to Surpass Original Saw

Summary

Saw X earns the best opening weekend for the franchise in over a decade, surpassing the two previous entries in the series.

Saw X is expected to earn $18.6 million in its opening weekend at the box office, which is slightly below expectations. However, it surpasses the earnings of recent films Spiral and Jigsaw, making it the sixth-highest opening in the franchise's history and outperforming the original Saw film.

Saw X has achieved the best opening weekend for the franchise in more than ten years. The movie, released in theaters on September 29, is the tenth installment in the horror franchise. Initially running from 2004's Saw to 2010's Saw: The Final Chapter, the franchise was resurrected with the 2017 legacy sequel Jigsaw and the 2021 soft reboot Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Set between the events of Saw and Saw II, the film revolves around Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell) seeking brutal revenge on a group of fraudulent medical practitioners.

According to Deadline, the box office projections for Saw X indicate an opening weekend earning of $18.6 million. Although slightly below expectations, this surpasses the opening weekends of Spiral ($8.75 million) and Jigsaw ($16.6 million), as well as Saw VI from 2009 ($14.1 million). If these projections hold, it will also surpass the original Saw's opening weekend earnings ($18.3 million), securing the sixth-highest opening in the franchise.

Could Saw X Earn a Sequel?

The opening weekend of Saw X faced slight disappointments as it fell short of the initial projections of around $20 million. Additionally, it was surpassed by the animated sequel PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, securing the second spot for the weekend. Despite these setbacks, considering its position within the franchise, the movie may still have a chance of earning a sequel.

Neither Jigsaw nor Spiral generated sufficient revenue to justify continuing their respective narrative paths. Despite Spiral's underwhelming performance at the global box office, it was followed by another installment in the Saw franchise two years later. This suggests that producers recognized the franchise's potential, particularly if it returned to its original formula. While this could bode well for an additional sequel, it is possible that Saw X was a desperate attempt to revive the franchise.

However, there is a positive factor working in favor of Saw 11. The film was made with a modest budget of $13 million, and it managed to recoup its entire production costs within a single weekend. Furthermore, the conclusion of Saw X leaves room for further stories to be explored within the pre-Saw II timeline, should any filmmaker choose to explore them.

Source: Deadline