Summary
Having recently made his directorial return withDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,Sam Raimiis officially returning to the horror genre withSend Help. Raimi first broke out in the world of filmmaking with his creation oftheEvil Deadfranchise, though would later expand his genre horizons with everything from the Western thrillerThe Quick and the Deadto the sports dramaFor Love of the Game. His most notable non-horror work has been in the superhero genre, having helmed the Tobey Maguire-ledSpider-Mantrilogy, as well as cult classic original creationDarkmanandDoctor Strangesequels.
Deadlinehas brought word that Raimi has signed a deal with 20th Century Studios to both produce and direct a new horror-thriller entitledSend Help. Sources report that the movie is “a two-hander horror-thriller set on an island”, with comparisons made to both Rob Reiner’sMiseryand the Tom Hanks-led survival dramaCast Away. Though the studio reportedly has yet to greenlight the project, the deal does establish it being Raimi’s first directorial horror movie in 15 years sinceDrag Me to Hell.
Send Help Could Be Big Hit (Especially Since Raimi Never Fully Left Horror)
Following his success withTobey Maguire’sSpider-Man, Raimi has only returned to the horror genre in the director’s chair on a handful of occasions, including the 2009 hitDrag Me to Hell, for which he’s reportedly considering a sequel, and helming the series premiere ofAsh vs. Evil Dead, which he also co-developed. He did also co-write and direct the first three parts of50 States of Frightfor Quibi, but the majority of his time in the director’s chair has been spent on major blockbusters, includingOz the Great and PowerfulandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Every Sam Raimi Horror Movie, Ranked
Sam Raimi created one of horror’s most enduring series with the Evil Dead films, but he’s directed a couple of other gems in the genre too.
But even with very few horror directorial efforts in the past decade, part of whySend Helpcould be a major horror hit is that Raimi never technically left the genre. The iconic filmmaker has two different production houses under his belt, Ghost House Pictures and Raimi Productions, both of which have primarily focused on producing horror titles, including America’s English-languageGrudgemovies,bothDon’t Breathemoviesand the creature thrillerCrawl.
Interestingly, Raimi’s Ghost House Productions was behind 2013’sEvil Deadrebootquel, while he was only onboard as an executive producer for 2023’sEvil Dead Rise.
Given even the likes ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesshave shown how Raimihas not fully lost his sense of horror even in alternate genres,Send Helpis sure to be a welcome return for him to his original genre. Additionally, with the script coming fromFreddy vs. JasonandFriday the 13threboot duo, Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, both of which were well received by their respective fanbases, their partnership with the horror icon could make for a thrilling twist on the stranded island formula.
