Sam Raimi Making A Sequel To His Most Overlooked Horror Movie
Director Sam Raimi says a sequel to his 2009 horror film Drag Me To Hell is in the works.
Sam Raimi, the world-famous director, writer, and producer known best for his work on the Evil Dead series, Doctor Strange 2, and the original Spider-Man film franchise, revealed during a recent Reddit AMA chat that a sequel to his 2009 horror flick Drag Me to Hell is currently in the works. He explained that the biggest challenge with developing a follow-up is finding a good story to tell. He said, “The team at Ghost House Pictures: Romel Adam and Jose Canas are trying to come up with a story that would work, and I’m anxious to hear if they do!”
Directed and co-written by Sam Raimi, the first film centered on a loan officer, Christine Brown, who denies an old woman the extension she needs to keep her home. Shortly after, Christine sees her once-promising life take a startling turn for the worse, and she discovers that she’s been cursed by a Gypsy. Her only hope seems to lie in a psychic who claims he can help her lift the curse and keep her soul from being dragged straight into the depths of hell.
For those of you who have seen Drag Me to Hell, you’ll recall that the film’s ending made good on the promise of the title. In the final moments, Christine (brilliantly played by Alison Lohman) is yanked into a fiery hole in the ground, and the credits begin rolling almost immediately after. This grim and definitive climax has been Sam Raimi’s biggest hurdle in trying to develop a sequel.
In 2019, the famed director told Bloody-Disgusting that he would be open to a Drag Me to Hell sequel if there were a good enough story to be told. “I don’t have a story because, in my mind, the character got killed, and worse,” said Sam Raimi. He went on to admit that he had no idea where he could go with a follow-up.
Although it’s nice to hear that a sequel to Drag Me to Hell is in active development, it’s rather surprising that it’s taking so long to get made. The first film was a huge critical hit, with a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition, the horror flick earned nearly $91 million globally against a budget of $30 million.
With that said, Sam Raimi is one of the busiest filmmakers in Hollywood. While he’s clearly interested in making a follow-up to Drag Me to Hell, it’s likely not a priority to him. He’s hard at work on numerous projects that undoubtedly take precedence over a sequel to a movie released nearly 15 years ago.
Last year, Sam Raimi directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for Marvel, and he’s set to helm the fantasy flick The Kingkiller Chronicle and action film World War 3. In addition, he’s attached as a producer on several projects, including Evil Dead Rise, Boy Kills World, and 65. The latter is a sci-fi action thriller arriving in theaters this Friday.
Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, 65 centers on an astronaut who crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone. The film stars Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman, Nika King, and Brian Dare. Sam Raimi produced the movie alongside Zainab Azizi, Scott Beck, Deborah Liebling, and Bryan Woods.
