Sam Raimi

Watch Early Makeup Test for Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 16th, 2011 at 12:48 pm

One of my favorite facets of moviemaking is hearing stories of the “could have been’s” and “almost’s”; like Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones or Stuart Townsend in The Lord of the Rings. Today we’ve got a pretty cool “could have been” by way of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The movie was a ginormous hit when it opened in 2002, landing the highest grossing opening weekend of all-time ($114 million seems almost quaint now). Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of the Green Goblin was central to the movie working as a whole, and an early test for how Raimi planned to portray the classic villain has now come to light. It’s loads different than the final version, relying more heavily on makeup and prosthetics. It doesn’t entirely fit in with the Spider-Man universe Raimi created over his three entries in the franchise, but it sure is neat. Hit the jump to see for yourself.

The Remake of EVIL DEAD Hits Theaters on April 12, 2013

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 8th, 2011 at 12:44 pm

Sony Pictures has set the remake of Sam Raimi‘s 1981 horror film Evil Dead (or “The Evil Dead” if you want to be OCD about it) for April 12, 2013.  The original movie centered on five twenty-somethings who headed up to stay in a cabin in the woods (the worst place anyone on Earth can ever be) only to be met with the horrors wrought forth from the Necronomicon (the Book of the Dead).  The movie spawned the sequels Evil Dead II (considered to be the best in the franchise) and the goofy horror-action film Army of Darkness, all starring groovy chainsaw-wielding protagonist Ash (Bruce Campbell).  Newcomer Fede Alvarez was brought on board to direct the remake after Raimi and producing partner Rob Tapert were impressed by his short film “Panic Attack”.  Diablo Cody was then hired to revise Alvarez’ original script.  Last month, Cody told Steve that the remake would be “unbelievably violent“.

No other movie is currently slated to open on April 12, 2013 [Box Office Mojo]

Sony Pictures to Distribute EVIL DEAD Remake

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 30th, 2011 at 2:24 pm

The Evil Dead remake is coming closer to a reality, as Sony Pictures is now set to distribute the pic. The original film’s director Sam Raimi is spearheading the update as a producer alongside Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert. Uruguay-native Fede Alvarez wrote and will direct the project, and Diablo Cody recently came aboard to do some script revisions. As she clarified to Steve, her work was far from an overhaul as she focused mainly on dialogue and character. Furthermore, if fans were worried the pic would be a watered-down version of the original Cody assured Steve that the script is “unbelievably violent”. Hit the jump for more.

EVIL DEAD 2 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: November 23rd, 2011 at 8:15 am

Having grown up in the 1980’s, it feels like it was Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn that interested people in the first film more than vice versa. Sure Sam Raimi’s first film The Evil Dead was championed by Stephen King back when that meant something, and it did well enough and sold very well internationally. But it’s the second film that became the cult phenomenon. Bruce Campbell stars as Ash, the man who takes his girlfriend to a deserted haunted cabin, and then things turn spooky and silly. What turned the film into a cult favorite is how funny it becomes without ever losing intensity. Our review of the new Blu-ray of Evil Dead 2 follows after the jump.

Exclusive: Screenwriter Diablo Cody Talks EVIL DEAD Remake; Calls it ‘Unbelievably Violent’

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 18th, 2011 at 12:40 pm

A few months ago we reported Fede Alvarez was going to write and direct an Evil Dead remake, with Diablo Cody doing some script revisions.  Now before you get up in arms that Evil Dead is being remade, it’s important to know that director Sam Raimi and original producing partners Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell are very much involved in the film.  Based on the original team’s inclusion, this is one of those projects I’m very curious about.

However, while we knew the remake was moving ahead as evidence by the premiere of the new logo at AFM and Lionsgate’s selling of international rights, no one was quite sure exactly how much work Cody had done on the script.  So when I spoke to her today for her great new movie Young Adult, she was more than willing to talk about her involvement on the film.  She said that she mostly handled dialogue and character, and addressed concerns people may have about her involvement by assuring me that she had no intention of infusing Evil Dead with “wacky dialogue and cute stuff” from Juno. In addition, she said the script is “unbelievably violent” and that the director’s draft was “really scary.”  Hit the jump for more.

Sony Pictures Acquires BZRK for Sam Raimi; Davis Films Picks Up Teen Fantasy Series HOUSE OF NIGHT

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 2nd, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Studios continue the search for the next great teen franchise to fill the void left behind by Harry Potter and Twilight. Today, two novel series have been picked up for film adaptations. BZRK, by author Michael Grant, has been acquired by Sony Pictures as the first of a trilogy for Sam Raimi and Josh Donen at Stars Road. The premise pits a team of guerilla-group teenagers against supervillain conjoined twins, with both sides battling it out through the use of nanobot warriors.

The wildly successful House of Night series by mother-daughter authors P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast has been acquired by Samuel Hadida of Davis Films. Firmly entrenched in vampire mythology, the series follows teenager Zoey Redbird as she journeys to the House of Night boarding school where she is trained to survive as an adult “vampiyre.” Hit the jump for more on both projects.

First Synopsis for Sam Raimi’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL Starring James Franco

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 26th, 2011 at 11:34 am

Principal photography has begun on Sam Raimi’s next film, Oz The Great and Powerful and now we have the first official synopsis for the film.  We now know that the eponymous’ wizard’s real name is Oscar Diggs.  Diggs is “a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics” who finds himself transported to Oz and drawn into a battle between the three witches Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).  The film also stars Zach Braff as Diggs’ circus assistant, and Braff will also lend his vocal talents to one of the CGI creatures in the story — Finley, the winged monkey who accompanies the magician on his journey to Oz.  I’ve always said that the only thing better than a monkey sidekick is a flying monkey sidekick.

Hit the jump for the full synopsis and press release.  Oz The Great and Powerful is set to open on March 8, 2013.

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, SEVENTH SON, THE POSSESSION, and THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT Get Release Dates

by Bill Graham    Posted: July 13th, 2011 at 9:03 pm

As Frosty loves to say, when it has a release date, it’s going to be made. For Sony’s Underworld: Awakening, Warner Bros. Seventh Son, Lionsgate’s The Possession, and Universal’s The Five-Year Engagement, things are looking bright. Briefly, Kate Beckinsale will return for the fourth film in the Underworld franchise, this time in 3D. Seventh Son is an adaptation of a popular young adult wizardry novel series that stars Ben Barnes, Jeff Bridges, and Julianne Moore. Sam Raimi’s upcoming horror film The Possession (formerly known as Dibbuk Box) stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick. Finally, we have The Five-Year Engagement, which reunites Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller from their great partnership on Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Here is when you can pencil (release dates shift… a lot) each of these films into your calendar:

• Underworld: Awakening – 1/20/12 – Stars Kate Beckinsale and Michael Ealy
• Seventh Son - 02/15/13 – Stars Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, and Ben Barnes
• The Possession – 1/6/12 – Stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick
• The Five-Year Engagement - 4/27/12 – Stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt

For more on the pics, hit the jump.

Official Announcement of THE EVIL DEAD Remake; Federico Alvarez Writing and Directing, Diablo Cody Doing Script Revisions

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 13th, 2011 at 3:30 pm

It’s official: The Evil Dead remake is alive and well. Ghost House Pictures announced today that Sam Raimi and original producing partners Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell are onboard to remake the horror classic. Following Campbell’s enthusiastic confirmation of the remake yesterday, we reported that Uraguay-native Fede Alvarez would be helming the film, and today’s press release confirms the director’s involvement. Apparently Raimi and Tapert were so impressed with Alvarez’s short film Panic Attack that they signed him to a blind deal, and shortly thereafter attached him to write and direct the Evil Dead remake. Hit the jump for more details, as well as the full press release.

Bruce Campbell Says EVIL DEAD 4 Is Finally in the Works

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 12th, 2011 at 7:36 am

Fans of the Evil Dead franchise have been clamoring for a fourth film for decades.  They’ve imagined Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash and they’ve taken comfort in the Evil Dead-style “spookablast” of Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell.  But hard news of an actual sequel has been scarce.  However, today offers the most promising news yet for Evil Dead 4.  Dread Central reports that editor Bob Murawski (Army of Darkness) has gone to Detroit to begin work on the project, which will be “a small indie thing like the first two.”  But when star Bruce Campbell was questioned by a fan on Twitter about the project’s veracity, he responded, “Believe in the remake, dawg! The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell.”

I believe the correct response to that news is “Groovy.”  Hit the jump for my thoughts on the sequel.

Abigail Spencer Joins Sam Raimi’s OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 6th, 2011 at 1:34 pm

Sam Raimi continues to fill out the cast of his Wizard of Oz prequel Oz, The Great and Powerful, as Mad Men actress Abigail Spencer is the latest to sign on. The impressive cast now includes James Franco as the charismatic magician, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams as three witches, and Zach Braff as Oz’s faithful assistant. The story tells the origins of the eponymous Wizard, as Franco’s character is whisked away in a hot air balloon to the land of Oz, where he must team up with Glinda the Good Witch (Williams) in order to battle her evil counterparts (Kunis and Weisz) who are bent on taking over the land.

Heat Vision reports that Spencer will play a willing participant in Franco’s magic show while he’s performing in Kansas. On Mad Men, Spencer played the foxy Miss Farrell, schoolteacher to Don Draper’s kids and the focal point of Mr. Draper’s super serious bedroom eyes in season three. Oz, The Great and Powerful begins filming in Michigan later this month. We recently reported that Raimi will be reteaming with composer Danny Eflman for the fantasy tale. The film hits theaters March 8^th, 2013.

 

Danny Elfman to Score Sam Raimi’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL; In Talks for THE HUNGER GAMES [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 20th, 2011 at 9:15 am

It looks like composer Danny Elfman may finally be reteaming with director Sam Raimi. After being collaborators for a number of years, the two had a bit of a falling out over the score for Spider-Man 2. Now, it appears that things have been smoothed over as Elfman recently revealed (Film Music Reporter via The Playlist) that he’s going to be scoring Raimi’s Wizard of Oz prequel Oz The Great and Powerful. The film stars James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Zach Braff. Oz The Great and Powerful hits theaters March 8^th, 2013.

In addition to Oz, Eflman also said that he’s in talks to score Gary Ross’ highly anticipated adaptation of The Hunger Games. While no deal is closed just yet, Elfman is eying the assignment. Based on the bestselling book series, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. The Hunger Games will be released on March 23^rd, 2012.

[Update: Movies.com confirms that Elfman is indeed scoring The Hunger Games alongside singer/songwriter/producer T. Bone Burnett, who won an Oscar for his work on Crazy Heart]

Zach Braff in Talks for OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 26th, 2011 at 7:34 pm

Zach Braff is in final talks to join Oz: The Great and Powerful, Disney’s re-imagining of/prequel to The Wizard of Oz.  James Franco stars as  “a charismatic circus magician who is treated as a powerful wizard after his balloon blows off course into Oz and the townsfolk want him to eradicate a Wicked Witch and bring peace.”  According to Deadline, Braff will play Frank, the wizard’s loyal but under-appreciated assistant.  Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz play three witches.  The 3D production begins begin this July in Michigan under the direction of Sam Raimi.  Oz: The Great and Powerful is scheduled for release on March 8, 2013.

The Scrubs fans out there may remember Braff directed “My Way Home,” the series’ 100th episode and homage to The Wizard of Oz.  Watch a clip from the episode after the break.

Sam Raimi’s OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL Set for March 8, 2013

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 25th, 2011 at 9:37 am

Filming on Sam Raimi’s Oz, The Great and Powerful is scheduled to begin shooting this July but audiences won’t be seeing any flying monkeys for a while.  Deadline reports that Disney has set the film’s release date for March 8, 2013.  While it seems a little odd that the movie wouldn’t be a summer tentpole, it could provide Disney a boost in the spring.

The film stars James Franco as a charlatan circus magician in our world, but when he’s transported to Oz, he becomes recognized as a Wizard and finds himself embroiled in a battle between the land’s three witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis), Glinda (Michelle Williams), and Evanora (Rachel Weisz).  The only other film currently set for March 8, 2013 is Neill Blomkamp’s follow-up to District 9, the sci-fi flick Elysium starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Wagner Moura, and possibly William Fichtner.

Michelle Williams to Play Glinda in Sam Raimi’s OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 17th, 2011 at 3:23 pm

The triumvirate of witches in Sam Raimi’s Oz, The Great and Powerful is complete.  The film stars James Franco as the future-wizard of Oz, Mila Kunis as Theodora (Wicked Witch of the West), Rachel Weisz as Evanora (Wicked Witch of the East), and now Variety reports that Michelle Williams has been cast as Glinda, the Good Witch.  So it looks like Disney won their battle with Raimi who wanted Hilary Swank for the role, but Disney wanted Williams.

In this re-imagining/prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Franco is a snake-oil salesman who is transported to Oz and teams up with Glinda to fight her evil sisters in a power struggle for control of the magical land.  While Raimi obviously knows the script better than I do, I think Williams is talented actress who adds value to any film.  She tends to gravitate to serious indie fare so this is a nice change of pace for what is sure to be one of Disney’s 2012 tentpoles.  Williams will next be seen as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn and opposite Seth Rogen in Sarah Polley’s bittersweet comedy Take This Waltz.

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