Sam Raimi Plots Darkman Comeback, Seeks Backers for a Long-Awaited Sequel

Sam Raimi says there is a Darkman sequel script, two directors ready to go, and one very boring obstacle: money. So yeah, the band might be getting back together… if someone writes a check.

Where Darkman stands right now

Raimi told Movieweb that Ghost House Pictures, the company he works with, is actively pushing a new Darkman movie forward. He would not say who is directing or what the angle is, but the gears are turning. The catch is financing, which is both the least exciting update and, somehow, the most common one in Hollywood.

"Ghost House Pictures, the company I work with, is trying to make the sequel right now. We’ve got a screenplay and two great directors, but we’re still having a little difficulty with the financing. It’s always the same in the movie business."

Translation: the movie is real enough to have a script and filmmakers attached, just not real enough to shoot yet.

Quick Darkman refresher

• The original Darkman hit in 1990, directed by Sam Raimi and written by Raimi with Chuck Pfarrer, Ivan Raimi, Daniel Goldin, and Joshua Goldin.
• Plot in one line: after gangsters blow up Dr. Peyton Westlake’s lab and leave him disfigured, an experimental procedure lets him craft new faces and identities, which he uses to get revenge.
• Liam Neeson starred in the first film and has said he would be open to a legacy-sequel return. Arnold Vosloo took over for two direct-to-video sequels.
• Raimi has previously said Universal was at least talking about another sequel, so this has been bubbling for a while.

Who might be steering this new one

A little over a year ago, Adam Schindler and Brian Netto — who worked with Raimi on episodes of his anthology series 50 States of Fright and on the thriller Don’t Move — publicly said Darkman was their dream gig. They talked to The Hollywood Reporter about it and made it clear they have serious affection for the character. Given Raimi’s new update about "two great directors," it’s natural to wonder if those two are the ones. He did not name names, though, so it could just as easily be someone else.

They are not the only ones campaigning. Josh Ruben (Scare Me, Werewolves Within, Heart Eyes) is such a die-hard Darkman fan that he recorded a fan commentary for Scream Factory’s 4K/Blu-ray and even tossed his sequel pitch online. His take supposedly leans more nightmare-fantasy (think A Nightmare on Elm Street) mixed with the modern, chilly vibe of The Invisible Man. Not what I expected for Darkman, but intriguing.

So, what now?

Raimi did not spell out the story direction, the cast, or the directors. All we know is there’s a script, two filmmakers attached, and the team needs financing. Honestly, it’s wild that Raimi — of all people — has to go hat in hand to get a Darkman sequel made, but that’s the current state of the industry: beloved IP plus respected filmmaker still equals "maybe" until the money lands.

In the meantime, Raimi has a new movie, Send Help, headed to theaters soon. If the dollars line up, Darkman could be right behind it. And if Liam Neeson actually suits up again as Peyton Westlake? That’s a legacy play worth the wait.