'Spiral' Takes Place in the 'Saw' Universe — What Does That Mean for Jigsaw?

The last movie to be released as part of the Saw franchise was 2017's Jigsaw. Now, with Spiral set to release in 2021, longtime fans are curious about how this latest film fits in with the original Saw story (since it noticeably has a different title and isn't called Saw 9), as well as how Spiral relates to the infamous psychological killer, Jigsaw, himself.

In the trailer for Spiral, there are clear connections to Saw, such as the text on the screen that promises "a new chapter." And as the detectives explore a supposedly new serial killer, they're met with red spiral shapes on city walls. These are identical to the spirals shown on the iconic tricycle puppet's cheeks from the other movies in the franchise.

The synopsis alone for Spiral points to its connection to the other Saw movies and the universe within the films.

"A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw," the synopsis reads. "Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city's gruesome past."

As fans know, the killer mastermind originally behind the mysteries in the other movies, Jigsaw, died a couple of films ago. So, in terms of bringing him back from the dead, that's highly unlikely. It is possible, however, that he put plans into motion before his death to create more games around the city.

There were also people who worked under Jigsaw, who were either his willing accomplices or were blackmailed by him in some way to keep different psychological games going. It's possible that we could see how these characters unfold in Spiral. Or, it could be that there's a copycat killer ready to teach police officers a lesson, as law enforcement is targeted this time around.

Chris Rock is shown handcuffed to a pipe with a saw in one hand at the end of the trailer for Spiral, which has prompted some fans to assume the film is a total reboot of the movie that started it all. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Instead, you can probably expect call-backs and Easter eggs that link the movies together, though the story itself is totally different.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman, who also directed Saw II, III, and IV, spoke with the No Prize From God podcast about "the philosophies of what the killer is doing" in each movie.

While the motive of getting victims to appreciate their lives might be part of the plot in Spiral, the movie could also be the start of a new story altogether.