Exclusive: Sam Raimi Involved With Darkman Reboot, Could Direct
Through our trusted and proven sources, we can report that Sam Raimi is going to be heavily involved in the Darkman reboot. He co-wrote and directed the original film.
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Back before Sam Raimi captivated the world with his take on Spider-Man, he had been involved in writing another superhero film. That film was Darkman. Surprisingly, the film contained an ensemble cast that includes Liam Neeson in the titular role, Frances McDormand, Larry Drake, and Colin Friels. Raimi wrote the film based on a short story he had also written which paid homage to the horror films of the 1930s. The film was generally praised by critics and audiences, and it provided an anti-hero that many identified with. Now, through our trusted and proven sources, we can report that Sam Raimi is heavily involved with the Darkman reboot. He might also be tasked with directing the film too.
The usual case for reboots is that they happen without the consent of the original creators in mind. That is because the rights to whatever property is being redone is often owned by the studio that made the film, or a studio that happened to purchase those rights in case they decided to make another version. Universal made Darkman in 1990, and they could be the ones trying to lure Sam Raimi into the director’s chair. Even if he happens to not want to direct this reimagining, he could be brought on as a producer and writer for the new reboot. That would be amazing too. He did a fantastic job with the first film, and we won’t count the straight-to-DVD sequels, as Liam Neeson and Raimi had nothing to do with them.
Darkman was released in 1990 and still holds an 83% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sam Raimi was coming off the success of directing Evil Dead II, and he continued his quest to portray the horrors of characters. Although Darkman was meant to be a champion for those that were taken advantage of, he was still disfigured and monstrous. Darkman follows scientist Peyton Westlake, who is targeted by a land developer and mobster who wants a document in his lab. Westlake is tortured and nearly killed, but when experimented on, he develops superpowers. He then seeks revenge on those who made him disfigured. Think of Deadpool. Darkman is disfigured, sarcastic, violent, and has powers. However, Darkman is also driven insane by the experiments that were done on him.
Darkman made $48 million against a budget of $14 million in 1990. That may not sound like a lot currently, but that is some huge monetary gain for the 90s. Also, watching the original film, you can see that it is heavily outdated. However, it looked great for the period it aired in. Imagine Darkman taking down thugs with the new CGI that is being used in current superhero films. Sam Raimi directing Darkman would be great because of what he was able to accomplish with Doctor Strange 2. He made that MCU film into a seamless horror and superhero entry that was fantastic. He could do the same with this new reboot.
We also reported that Sam Raimi is in talks for another Spider-Man film, though we hope that doesnt mean he can’t direct Darkman. Despite his downfalls with Spider-Man 3, the man has proven that he is still a fantastic superhero director. A Darkman reboot sounds exciting to us.
