When Saw first came out in 2004, it was a vicious and unique new addition to the world of horror, and very few people could deny how much gory fun it was.

It was so popular, in fact, that sequels soon followed and they kept coming. By 2009 — yes, only 5 short years later — they were already releasing Saw VI. Many faithful fans have continued to line up the second a new installment is released, and as with any franchise, these fans have the ones they like and the ones they didn’t like. On the other hand, there’s another group of people who loathe what the franchise has become, and consider it a constant recycling of the exact same idea, surgically engineered to take the money of unsuspecting consumers every Halloween season.

With each and every Saw film, it has become more and more apparent that the popularity is slowly weakening. And so the question has arisen: when will Jigsaw orchestrate his final cruel trap?

It appears that the answer is “soon.”

Back in November, current Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, as well as upcoming Saw VII writer Patrick Melton did a little interview with a UK radio station. Apparently this interview went unheard by many, but Latino Review somehow discovered it, and buried within was what looks like a confirmation that the franchise will not last much longer.

Here is what Melton said when asked about a possible end:

Obviously this could change in the blink of an eye, especially is Saw VII dominates the box office like the Saw of old, but for now it is not that shocking. I personally love the first movie, and even though it was basically the same, the second movie was pretty decent as well. But after that, the repetitiveness was just too much to accept, and my interest was just another victim of Jigsaw’s evil deeds.

I can only assume that even the fans of the series are slowly realizing that they’ve paid around $60 for the same movie (soon to be $70 for many!), and the studio doesn’t feel the profit is there to continue.

Here’s a look at the cost of each Saw film, and it’s return numbers worldwide.

Saw — Budget: $1.2 Million; Worldwide Box Office: $103 Million

Saw II — Budget: $4 Million; Worldwide Box Office: $147 Million

Saw III — Budget: $10 Million; Worldwide Box Office: $164 Million

Saw IV — Budget: Est. $10 Million; Worldwide Box Office: $139 Million

Saw V — Budget: $10.8 Million; Worldwide Box Office: $113 Million

Saw VI — Budget: $11 Million; Worldwide Box Office: $49 Million

SO…as you can see, the budget has consistently gone up, but after Saw III, the profit has gone down, especially from Saw V to Saw VI, which shows a drastic decrease despite the semi-positive reviews of the most recent chapter.

I’m actually pretty surprised. I had no idea that the first couple of movies were so insanely cheap. Even the massive drop in numbers for the last film still saw a $38 million profit. Still, the numbers do not lie, and it’s clear that things are not what they once were.

As is customary, Saw VII will be released on October 22, 2010, and as you read in the quote, yes it too will be in 3D (why not!). But will it be the last?

Also worth pondering is Hollywood’s new fad: the instant reboot! Could this franchise get a complete reboot already?

Perhaps not. Let’s hope not.