It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new film from director Sam Raimi, but the Evil Dead filmmaker’s next movie could be a return to form of sorts. Per Variety, Raimi is in talks to direct Sony’s remake of Jacques Audiard’s critically lauded 2009 French prison drama A Prophet, marking a return to smaller scale dramatic features after years of working within the genre realm.
Raimi’s last effort was Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful, which was intended to kick off a new Wizard of Oz-inspired franchise but ultimately Disney has yet to move forward with a follow-up. Before that, Raimi offered a palate cleanser of sorts with the terrific 2009 horror film Drag Me to Hell, his first non-Spider-Man movie since 2000’s The Gift, and developed Warcraft at Universal before departing over creative differences. Most recently, Raimi directed the pilot for the Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead, reviving that horror franchise on television, but the filmmaker has been open about the fact that Ash vs. Evil Dead was less a passion project and more a response to fan outcry for more stories set within the Evil Dead universe, so clearly doing something different has been on his mind.
Which makes the prospect of the A Prophet remake so intriguing. Mystic River and Shutter Island novelist Dennis Lehane adapted the screenplay for producer Neal H. Moritz, and Sony is looking to move quickly in finding a star so that Raimi can begin production in mid-2016.
The story of Audiard’s original film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, revolved around an Arab man who becomes a Mafia kingpin when he’s sent to a French prison. It’s unclear how this remake will switch up the nationalities of the characters, but I’m beyond intrigued by the notion of Raimi returning to A Simple Plan territory even if I find a remake of A Prophet rather unnecessary.
What do you think, folks? Are you excited to see Raimi tackle a drama, or would you like to see him return to blockbuster film or horror territory? Sound off in the comments below.
