So what if John “Jigsaw” Kramer died at the end of Saw III? Horror franchises have routinely resurrected baddies. Usually they’re supernatural monsters, like Freddy or Jason. Still, why not bring back a very human quasi-baddie with terminal cancer? So it goes with Saw X, which has a semi-sensible reason for bringing Tobin Bell back to the fold: It’s actually set in the early days of the franchise.
A new trailer dropped for the nearly two decade-old series, which finds Jigsaw still very much alive if seeking experimental treatment to have that pesky tumor removed. After the doctors turn out to be grifters, he does what he does best: He kidnaps everyone involved and treats them to some death-defying games. Even if they survive, they’ll probably be missing a body part or part of their brain.
Not mentioned in the trailer is that Saw X takes place between the events of the original Saw and its first sequel. That means it’s set in or around 2004 and 2005. Bell, now 80, hasn’t been treated to de-aging CGI à la The Irishman or Indy 5. We’re either supposed to believe Bell is almost 20 years younger — or we’re just not supposed to care. It’s a Saw movie, and one that won’t have to deal with the Chris Rock-starring ninth entry.
You can watch the trailer for Saw X, which hits theaters on September 29, in the video above.