It’s been 30 years since Sam Raimi last directed an Evil Dead movie, although the franchise has continued through Fede Álvarez’s remake, upcoming HBO Max sequel Evil Dead Rise, spinoff series Ash vs Evil Dead, comic books, video games, and more, but the franchise’s shadow still looms large over the filmmaker’s career to this day.
Raimi will be helming his first feature in almost a decade when the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes to theaters in just a few weeks, and we’re expecting plenty of jaw-dropping visual flourishes from someone that’s always been lauded for their creativity when it comes to effects and shot composition.
Of course, Benedict Cumberbatch’s solo sequel is a PG-13 superhero blockbuster backed by the all-powerful Disney machine, but Kevin Feige has nonetheless teased in an interview with Empire that Multiverse of Madness is a quintessential Sam Raimi film “in ways that will make fans of Evil Dead II very happy”.
We’ve heard plenty of cast and crew members laud Raimi for how much of his distinct cinematic personality he’s injected into the MCU extravaganza, with Feige once again outlining that he encouraged the director to be himself above all.
“We would give notes like, ‘This action is cool – you’re competing with Avengers and Spider-Man — but don’t forget the Sam Raimi part!”
That’s a lot of pressure on Raimi, and that’s without mentioning that reshoots on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness aren’t even over yet, but we’re confident that he’ll be able to deliver in a major way.