The idea of Chris Rock starring in a Saw movie is enough to generate interest among non-horror fans, especially when he also had a huge hand in developing the story for Spiral, and takes an executive producing credit for good measure. The franchise has only delivered one new effort in the last decade, but with a cumulative box office haul of $976 million, the ninth installment is guaranteed to tip it past the billion dollar mark.
Spiral was delayed by an entire year as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, and is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 21st. That means the marketing campaign should be kicking up a few notches in the not too distant future, and to get the ball rolling, a pair of new images have been released that show Rock’s Detective Ezekiel Banks in two very different situations, which you can check out below.
Veteran Saw director Darren Lynn Bousman returns behind the camera after helming the second, third and fourth films, but he’s promised a less violent and more cerebral spin on the concept this time around, and even named David Fincher’s Se7en as a direct inspiration. While Spiral may not be able to hit the same heights as one of the most acclaimed psychological thrillers of the modern era, there’s no harm in shooting for the moon.
The prospect of seeing Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson in the world of Saw is an intriguing prospect to say the least, especially if Spiral is turning its back on the torture porn trappings of the property in an effort to prioritize story and character. Bousman has already teased that the fans aren’t ready for it, and we’re getting closer to finding out if he’s right.