“ Saw XI ” has been axed from the release calendar. Lionsgate’s gory slasher, the 11th installment in the long-running franchise, was scheduled to open on Sept. 26, 2025. The studio will instead release another blood-soaked horror film, “The Strangers – Chapter 2,” on the newly freed date.

The removal of the film from the release calendar would seem to confirm that, but Lionsgate insists that, unlike John Kramer, the movie isn't as dead as it appears. In a statement purported to be from series mascot Billy the Puppet,