Horror legend Tobin Bell will reprise his role as Jigsaw killer John Kramer in the next Saw film, which is heading into production this month from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures.

Franchise veteran Kevin Greuter – who directed both Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter, and worked as film editor on Saw I, II, III, IV, V, and Jigsaw – is directing this next instalment, which is presently slated for release on October 27th, 2023.

Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw, revealed in earlier Saw films to be John Kramer, is the antagonist at the heart of the horror franchise. He is a former civil engineer (hello, well-designed torture traps) who is diagnosed with terminal colon cancer and a brain tumour and has then decided to test others’ desire to live via a series of tests and games. The character appeared in the first three Saw films before being killed off, though he appears in flashbacks in most of the subsequent films. It’s unclear how Kramer will be brought back into the fold for this upcoming entry.

Saw franchise producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules stated: “What a thrill to be reuniting with Tobin. His performance as John Kramer is part of the magic that made this franchise a phenomenon and his character is an active part of this film.”

Tobin Bell was recently seen outside of Saw in MacGyver and The Flash. The most recent chapter in the Saw films was the Chris Rock-starrer Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.