<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=36750692&amp;cv=3.6.0&amp;cj=1"> The Failed Soft Reboot of a Billion-Dollar Saga Carves It up on Streaming
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Your details are incorrect, or aren't in our system yet. Please try again, or sign up if you're new here.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Create a GAMURS
By g up, you agree to our and of Service.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose a name
Choose a unique name using 3-30 alphanumeric characters.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose your preferences
Choose how we communicate with you, opt out at anytime.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Check your email
An confirmation link was sent to your email. Don't forget to check your spam!
Enter the email address you used when you ed and we'll send you instructions to reset your .
If you used Apple or Google to create your , this process will create a for your existing .
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Reset instructions sent. If you have an with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or if the problem persists.
via Lionsgate

The soft reboot of a billion-dollar franchise that failed so hard it got another sequel instead carves it up on streaming

When all else fails, it's back to the well.

Despite the enduring popularity and virtually guaranteed box office success the genre has constantly displayed dating back decades and decades, the number of horror franchises to have cracked the cumulative billion-dollar mark at the box office is surprisingly small, but Spiral: From the Book of Saw helped push the trap-happy terrors into the rare club.

Recommended Videos

The only other scary sagas to have hauled in a combined total of 10 figures or more in ticket sales are The Conjuring Universe, the long-running Alien series, Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich’s six-film run as the stewards of Resident Evil, and Andy Muschietti’s It duology, so it’s definitely rarefied air.

While Spiral‘s tepid run in theaters that saw it earn a little over $40 million can be partly attributed to the pandemic, it shouldn’t be overlooked that the reviews were crushingly disappointing for a soft reboot that saw Chris Rock play a pivotal role as star and producer, with Samuel L. Jackson swinging by to lend .

In the immediate aftermath, the creative team claimed that Spiral was more than capable of existing on its own without any overt connections to Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw, and a sequel was actively in the works. However, when the next chapter was confirmed… it was a direct continuation of the original mythos that was bringing back Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw, rendering The Book of Saw obsolete.

On the plus side, blood-soaked escapades are always the in thing on streaming, so the reinvention that was instantly cast aside in favor of returning to the well has at least made its mark on-demand this weekend, with FlixPatrol naming Spiral as one of the 10 most-watched titles on Hulu.


We Got This Covered is ed by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about our Policy
Author
Image of Scott Campbell
Scott Campbell
News, reviews, interviews. To paraphrase Keanu Reeves: Words. Lots of words.