How Far Does Saw X Go with Its Gory Traps? ‘Rarely Is Something Too Extreme,’ Says Director (Exclusive)

The Saw the filmmakers can handle almost anything while coming up with shocking franchise devices.

Almost 20 years later, Saw the franchise lives on its 10th installment, Saw X.

This entry, which takes place between the events of the first and second films, features the return of John Kramer (Tobin Bell) and Amanda (Shawnee Smith) — plus a new collection of literal eye-popping traps.

Has there ever been a trap too creepy to be the final version? “Rarely is anything too extreme for Saw” says director Kevin Greutert, who has been involved with the franchise since editing the 2004 original.

Producer Oren Koules tells PEOPLE that they “put some” hardcore concepts on hold in the past. “But,” he says, “we’ve been dealing with the MPAA for 20 years, so we kind of know where our limits are, where we can push and where we can’t. We try to do the best we can.”

Taken out of context, their brainstorming sessions can become a bit alarming for any eavesdroppers – which is why the creative team ended the workshop Saw ideas in a public environment.

Saw Actor Tobin Bell is ‘one of the nicest people’ despite dark role, producer says (exclusive)

Courtesy of Lionsgate

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“There’s a group of people who all get together. Anthony Stabley, our production designer, had a whole trap team and their only job was to come up with and build traps,” says producer Mark Burg.

Koules adds of the brainstorming meetings: “We used to do it in a restaurant, but it doesn’t work as well anymore because people go crazy sitting around us.”

“We’re going to sit there and say, ‘So if we cut someone’s ear off, how much blood do you think comes out? And if you rip someone’s tongue out, can they still live? I know I can’t talk, but . . .’ And you see how people look at you, how you hear, listen,” says Burg. “So we moved it to Oren’s living room.”

Koules explains that the team first comes up with the story, putting placeholders in the script for “trap 1,” “trap 2,” and so on. Then, “Let’s start thinking about really twisted ways to get our point across,” he adds.

Stabley admits he felt “terrorized” for several weeks as he brainstormed inventive torture methods for the film. For the latest film, they went back to the early parts.

“It’s just a matter of taste. I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that we like the first two Saw movies. We wanted to return to the other world. We wanted to make sure the fans appreciated that and our traps.”

Safety comes first Saw set during the simulation of terrifying situations with actors, stuntmen and effects teams.

Paulette Hernández in “Saw X” (2023).

Alexandro Bolaños Escamilla

Greutert says, “There’s a scene near the end that involves a lot of blood, and that was very challenging for the people who had to be in front of the camera for that stunt. There were some hand gestures that they had to use when it was too much — and they used it because was difficult.”

Adds Stabley crafting skills ua Saw trap sequence, “All these traps, we include the prosthetics department, the stunt department, the mechanical effects department, our art department. We have a team that just cleans up the blood! It’s pretty hardcore.”

Saw X it’s in theaters now.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education