It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new film from directorSam Raimi, but theEvil Deadfilmmaker’s next movie could be a return to form of sorts. PerVariety, Raimi is in talks to direct Sony’s remake ofJacques Audiard’s critically lauded 2009 French prison dramaA Prophet, marking a return to smaller scale dramatic features after years of working within the genre realm.
Raimi’s last effort was Disney’sOz the Great and Powerful, which was intended to kick off a newWizard 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 filmDrag Me to Hell, his first non-Spider-Manmovie since 2000’sThe Gift, and developedWarcraftat Universal before departing over creative differences. Most recently, Raimi directed the pilot for the Starz seriesAsh vs. Evil Dead, reviving that horror franchise on television, but the filmmaker has been open about the fact thatAsh vs. Evil Deadwas less a passion project and more a response to fan outcry for more stories set within theEvil Deaduniverse, so clearly doing something different has been on his mind.
Which makes the prospect of theA Prophetremake so intriguing.Mystic RiverandShutter IslandnovelistDennis Lehaneadapted the screenplay for producerNeal 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 toA Simple Planterritory even if I find a remake ofA Prophetrather 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.
