Up until now it's been fairly widely understood, not least by Jigsaw himself Tobin Bell, that the Saw franchise was heading for at least eight installments. According to latterday Saw co-writer Patrick Melton however, it looks as if the end is finally nigh, with Saw VII constituting the final piece.
Melton talked to radio station Demon FM (also available in text form, lovingly transcribed by Latino Review) at some length about plans for his future screenplay(s), and there are plenty of spoilerific bits of Saw esoterica included for any series faithful who want to whet their appetites. But the big reveal is that, with fewer people turning out to see last year's Saw VI than previously, the moneymen seem to have decided to call time.
"We thought Saw VIII would be the last one," says Melton, "where we had the first trilogy and the second trilogy and then sort of a grand finale wrapped up in two films. But why make two movies when we can make one really excellent movie to wrap up? And it's going to be in 3-D which sort of adds to the spectacle."
That's a lot of loose ends that need tying up, but Melton seems confident: "VII is going to incorporate all six films and wrap things up, that is the intent... If we're saying this is the end it should appropriately be the end and reach back to as far back in history as the films have gone."
So, come October 2010, it looks like it's goodbye Jigsaw, goodbye pig mask, and sniff, goodbye Billy the Puppet. If Kevin Greutert is still pissed that he's been contractually obliged to direct Part VII, he can at least console himself that he's bringing the house down in the process.
Still, the first Saw will be ten years old in 2014, by which point it'll probably be deemed time for a reboot.