When it was released in 2004, the horror film Saw was part of the vanguard for a new era in horror movies. Along with Eli Roth's Hostel and Rob Zombie's foray into film making, Saw lay the foundation for what was dubbed "torture porn," mainstream horror releases that featured the terror of masked killers sadistically playing with victims and prolonging their suffering (as opposed to classic slasher movies like Halloween or Friday The 13th, in which the killer chases people and quickly kills them).

And Saw, with its deadly antihero the "Jigsaw Killer," who places his victims in elaborate traps or "tests" that usually end with their deaths (although most are offered the chance to survive), was the most successful, spawning six sequels over six years, the last of which, Saw 3D, was released in 2010.

But ever since that "final chapter," fans have been curious about the possibility for another edition to the horror franchise. But is there a real possibility that there will ever be a Saw VIII?

Maybe. The original creators of the Saw franchise have hinted at the possibility of another movie in the series.

Director James Wan dished about the future of the franchise in an interview with IGN back in 2014, on the occasion of Saw being re-released in theaters for Halloween to mark its tenth anniversary. While the director spoke about the movie, his experience making it, and its "pop cultural staying power," he also hinted at some possibly exciting news for fans of the gory series.

When asked if there was hope for Saw 8, the director was quite optimistic.

"I will say this: never say never again. [Laughs] Sean Connery made a movie about that, actually. You know, I think the Saw universe, the Saw brand, is too big to just let it just sit there on a shelf. I'll say that much."

Then, in a interaction with fans promoting Insidious Chapter 3 that same month, Leigh Whannell, who co-created the series with Wan and even had a part in the first one, also addressed a question about his involvement with Saw VIII. His response was slightly noncommittal: "No, not involved at present but would be involved as producer."

The comments fueled fan excitement and hype that had been stoke by another report from earlier that year from SchmoesKnow, which cited Daniel J. Heffner, co-producer of Saw and Saw II, saying that another film in the series might be released in spring 2015 "if all goes well with Lionsgate."

Obviously, sine you're reading this in January 2016, that never happened. And since then, there have been plenty of speculation and rumors, with some blogs claiming that Saw VIII could be hitting theaters this summer. But there have still been no official announcements or reports from reputable inside publications about any new developments. The IMDB page for Saw VIII remains barren, and any trailers that pop up are entirely fan made.

It looks like Saw VIII is dead...for now.

Tags: Saw 8 Movies