50 Fun Facts About Saw

Which two Australians created the Saw franchise?

They wrote the script in 2001, could not get it funded in Australia, and shot a short film to pitch it in Los Angeles.

What is the real name of the Jigsaw Killer?

A civil engineer dying of cancer, he insists he never actually kills anyone; his victims fail his tests.

Why is the killer nicknamed Jigsaw?

He says the media coined the name, and that the missing piece represents the victims' lack of a survival instinct.

Who plays Jigsaw throughout the series?

He took the part because he did not see the ending coming when he read the script and figured audiences would not either.

What is the name of the tricycle-riding puppet Jigsaw uses to deliver his messages?

The original head was made from clay, papier-mâché and black ping-pong balls for eyes; later versions used animatronics.

In the first film, what does Dr. Lawrence Gordon do to escape the bathroom?

Saw 3D later reveals he cauterised the wound on a hot pipe, survived, and secretly became one of Jigsaw's apprentices.

Who plays Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the original Saw?

The Princess Bride star was sent the short film on DVD, read the script in one sitting and prepped with a UCLA neurosurgeon.

Which co-creator also plays Adam, the photographer chained in the bathroom?

He also stood in for two other actors during $400 worth of reshoots he and the director did on their own.

The twist of the first film reveals that Jigsaw has been posing as what the whole time?

He then seals the door on Adam with the words "Game over"; the key to Adam's chain had gone down the bathtub drain in the opening scene.

What was the shooting budget of the first Saw?

It was shot in 18 days at a Los Angeles production facility, and the bathroom was the only set that had to be built.

How many days did principal photography on the first film take?

Danny Glover finished all his scenes in two days, and Cary Elwes was doing 12 to 16 pages of dialogue a day.

At which festival did Saw premiere in January 2004?

Lionsgate had planned a straight-to-video release but changed its mind after three packed midnight screenings.

Which two low-budget hits inspired the creators to fund a film themselves?

They reasoned the cheapest script would involve two actors in one room.

Who plays Amanda, the first publicly known survivor of a Jigsaw game?

Not a horror fan, she initially refused the role as "horrific"; the director had a teenage crush on her and suggested her offhand.

What is the title of the instrumental theme heard over every Saw film's twist ending?

Composer Charlie Clouser spelled it with two Ps as a nod to the 80s band Zapp; the character is Zep.

Which former Nine Inch Nails member composed the Saw score?

The first film's score took six weeks; a Megadeth track was planned for the film but never used.

What is Zep Hindle's job?

He appears to be the villain until the ending reveals he was just another Jigsaw victim following instructions.

What is the name of Jigsaw's ex-wife, who ran a rehab clinic?

The loss of their unborn son, caused by an addict named Cecil, is the wound at the root of everything Jigsaw does.

Which police lieutenant is blackmailed into becoming Jigsaw's apprentice after avenging his sister?

He faked his revenge killing to look like a Jigsaw trap, and later takes over the games after Kramer's death.

In Saw II, the house full of victims is slowly filling with what?

The twist is that the video feed is pre-recorded, and Detective Matthews' son is actually safe in a locked safe.

In which film does Jigsaw die?

The next film's autopsy scene finds a wax-coated cassette in his stomach warning Hoffman that he too will be tested.

Where is a cassette tape found during Jigsaw's autopsy in Saw IV?

The tape had been coated in wax to survive.

The game in Saw VI targets William Easton, an executive in which industry?

His team rejected two-thirds of all claims, including Kramer's own request for an experimental cancer treatment.

In Saw 3D, Bobby Dagen is punished for what lie?

His final test forces him to attempt the trap he invented, and he fails.

Which device does Hoffman use to kill Jill in Saw 3D?

It is the same headpiece Amanda escaped in the first film, and Jill had earlier locked Hoffman in one without a key.

In Jigsaw (2017), who is revealed to be the new copycat killer?

He was the man who mislabeled Kramer's X-rays; Kramer spared him and made him his very first apprentice.

Which comedian stars as Detective Zeke Banks in Spiral (2021)?

He pushed for the project after wanting to try horror, polished the script and served as an executive producer; Samuel L. Jackson plays his father.

The killer in Spiral targets which group?

The culprit turns out to be Zeke's new partner, William Schenk, whose father was killed by a dirty cop.

In Saw X, Jigsaw travels to which country for a supposed miracle cancer cure?

The film is set between Saw and Saw II and was shot in Mexico City; when the treatment proves a scam, the traps come out.

Which is the only Saw film to receive generally positive reviews from critics?

The tenth film brought back director Kevin Greutert, who had edited six of the movies, and grossed $125 million.

Which is the highest-grossing film in the series worldwide?

Its $33.6 million opening was the biggest Halloween debut ever at the time.

Which film opened in second place behind High School Musical 3?

The following year's entry lost its opening weekend to Paranormal Activity and became the lowest-grossing of the series.

In 2010, Guinness named Saw what?

The films have taken more than $1 billion from box office and retail sales combined.

Which UK attraction opened the roller coaster "Saw – The Ride" in 2009?

The Euro-Fighter coaster climbs a 100-foot vertical lift into a beyond-vertical drop under spinning saw blades.

Which Japanese company holds the rights to Saw video games?

It hoped Saw could sit alongside Silent Hill, with one focusing on visual intensity and the other on psychological terror.

The 2018 Saw chapter of Dead by Daylight added which character as a playable killer?

A detective came as a survivor and the Gideon Meat Plant as a map.

The 2003 short film used to pitch the movie is often referred to by what nickname?

It featured a scene from the script and was later included on the uncut DVD of the first film.

Which VH1 reality show had actresses competing for a role in Saw VI and Saw 3D?

It aired in 2008 and 2010, produced with Lionsgate Television.

According to director David Hackl, the traps in the films are what?

The most dangerous was Saw V's water box, which required actor Scott Patterson to keep his head submerged for real.

Which production company bought Twisted Pictures' stake in the franchise in June 2025?

The deal brought co-creator James Wan back into a creative role for the first time since Saw III.

Which detective, played by Danny Glover, becomes obsessed with catching Jigsaw after his partner dies?

His partner Sing is killed by a shotgun trap while saving a victim, and Tapp is later discharged from the force.

How much did the first film gross worldwide, against its tiny budget?

At the time it became the most profitable horror film since Scream.

The Saw II: Flesh & Blood video game was released for which consoles in 2010?

It came out ten days before Saw 3D reached cinemas.

What distinction did the first Saw hold at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival?

The theatrical release followed six weeks later, timed for Halloween.

The comic Saw: Rebirth was the first canonical appearance of which character?

The IDW comic released to promote Saw II was later contradicted by Saw IV, but Jill made it into the films from Saw III.

What was John Kramer's profession before he became the Jigsaw Killer?

Flashbacks in Saw IV show him as a successful professional and devoted husband before the loss of his unborn son.

Which drug addict's actions cause Jill Tuck to lose her unborn son?

Saw VI later reveals that Amanda Young was with him that night, a secret kept from John and Jill.

Why did producer Oren Koules say Saw XI was cancelled in 2025?

Blumhouse then bought Twisted Pictures' stake, and James Wan is set to be creatively involved for the first time since Saw III.

Which 2004 film gave Lionsgate a bigger opening weekend than Saw's $18.2 million?

Saw went on to gross $103 million worldwide and was at the time the most profitable horror film since Scream.

Which publisher released the 2005 prequel comic Saw: Rebirth?

The comic was released to promote Saw II and was later adapted as a motion comic, though Saw IV contradicted parts of its story.