Saw: Tobin Bell Supports Jigsaw Being Recast | Screen Rant
Saw star Tobin Bell supports the idea of Jigsaw being recast. Though he’s a prolific actor, having appeared in classic films such as Tootsie and Goodfellas, Bell is best known for his appearances in the Saw franchise. Starting in 2004, and continuing until 2017, Bell played John Kramer who is better known as Jigsaw. For his portrayal of a man dying from cancer and driven to enlist his victims into twisted games, Bell has won accolades and is widely regarded as an iconic of modern horror movies.
After appearing in eight installments of the Saw series, many fans have been wondering if Bell will have some involvement in Spiral: From The Book of Saw. Described as a fresh perspective on the franchise, while still being connected to the previous films, Spiral will follow Detective Ezekiel Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner, played by Max Minghella, as they investigate murders which may prove to have a connection to Jigsaw’s past games. The movie is set to be a bit of a departure from previous Saw titles, incorporating more humor and featuring a more well-known cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson in a leading role. This has led to speculation about whether or not Bell’s infamous madman will factor into the narrative at all.
In an interview with Comic Book, while promoting his new movie Bezelbuth, Bell revealed that he supports the idea of Jigsaw being recast. “John Kramer is a King Lear-like character. He’s huge, his world is very large,” Bell said. “If the writing is amazing, he’s a character that any actor would be thrilled to have an opportunity to occupy.” Kramer has definitely grown into a memorable figure in the horror genre. Saw has garnered notoriously divisive reactions over the years, but there was an initial appeal to the series partly because of the fact that Jigsaw was introduced to audiences as a complex persona.
Spiral was initially scheduled to be released in May of this year. Because of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie is now slated to hit theaters in 2021. Details about the narrative have been kept under wraps, but it’s certainly possible that Jigsaw will make an appearance given his central role in the franchise. Whether he’s played by Bell or another actor remains to be seen.
In a sense, Jigsaw has already been portrayed by a number of individuals. In the Saw movies, Kramer has often been seen training others about how to continue the tradition of his sadistic obstacles. While it’s understandable that Sprial aims to bring a new sheen to an aging franchise, it would be difficult to imagine the character of Jigsaw being rebooted without Bell’s familiar presence.
Source: Comic Book