A parody advert for Saw X that mysteriously disappeared from the internet was taken down due to a complaint, the director has confirmed.
Read more: Saw X editor had police called on him by neighbours who heard screaming
The video, which played on the viral AMC Theatres spot featuring Nicole Kidman, showed classic Saw puppet Billy (in the role of Kidman) describing the joy of seeing movies in the cinema. Instead of family films though, he describes his excitement at watching violence and gory “traps” on the big screen.
The initial online reaction to the parody was positive, but the original AMC advert had been roundly mocked and became the subject of ridicule, inviting other parodies including from long-running sketch show Saturday Night Live. Saw fans have been speculating that a complaint from AMC was behind the clip’s sudden disappearance from official social media channels shortly after it was uploaded earlier this month.
So the Saw movies are straight up garbage to me but this is the best thing that they have produced. pic.twitter.com/vpZOcpdzAY
— Dave Ralph (@heyitsdaveralph) September 14, 2023
In an interview with NME on September 15, Saw X director Kevin Greutert didn’t specifically say the complaint came from AMC, though he did confirm that was the reason the video got canned.
“I think some people were just a little upset about it so it went away,” he said. “It’s a shame because it was a hit, there’s no doubt. I was rolling on the floor laughing the first time I saw it. But not everybody in this world was!”
He added, joking: “I think it was Nicole Kidman herself that got it shut down. No, just kidding!”
However, apart from the parody mishap, Greutert says reaction to the film and its promotional material has been good so far. “We’re feeling a lot of buzz, a lot of love for the trailer and for all of the images that are popping up [on the internet]. The traps have also been well received… I think you guys are gonna get a lot of surprises from it!”
‘Saw X’ is in cinemas now