Chris Rock won't let 'gore and violence' be a prop in Saw revival

Chris Rock will make sure "gore and violence" isn't there as a "gimmick" in 'Spiral: From The Book Of Saw'.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman - who is returning for the upcoming revival after previously working on the first, third and fourth films in the franchise - has heaped praise on the 55-year-old actor for his work on the new instalment.

He told Empire magazine: "I was a younger person, making [the earlier 'Saw' films]. Gore and violence was the gimmick, I think.

"Gore and violence is no longer a gimmick - it just serves the story. This is much more about character, tension and fear."

Bousman also played down any fans' fears that the movie - which has been written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger - could be too much of a radical departure from the horror genre, as he insisted Rock is "an expect".

He added: "Chris is the real deal. He not only got the genre, he was kind of an expect in it. He would make these obscure references and I'd be like, 'How the f*** do you know that?' "

In the new film, Rock plays Detective Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks alongside Detective William Schenk (Max Minghella), while Samuel L. Jackson stars as his on-screen dad.

The pair are investigating a series of cop killings, and Bousman revealed the reboot has come from the mind of its leading man.

He explained: "It's completely Chris' idea... One main reason I left the 'Saw' franchise is that it was a well-oiled machine.

"I felt like I could have stepped outside and the movies still would have continued. It stopped being a challenge to me. It was such a juggernaut...

"Chris came in with a thriller concept. He pitched this very elaborate, dense idea. We wanted it to feel much more like 'Seven'. But it has so many ties to the mythos of 'Saw.' "