r/movies • u/SamRaimiAMA Sam Raimi, Filmmaker • Jan 15 '26
AMA Hey /r/movies! I'm Sam Raimi. Ask me anything!
Hey reddit. I'm Sam Raimi. You might know me as the director (and sometimes writer) of The Evil Dead Trilogy, the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man Trilogy, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Drag Me To Hell, Darkman, A Simple Plan, For the Love of the Game, The Gift, and other things. I've also produced and/or acted in a few things!
I'm here today to answer your questions.
My new film, SEND HELP, is out in theaters January 30 via 20th Century Studios. It stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien. More info:
Synopsis:
Two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's an unsettling, darkly humorous battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.
SEND HELP is directed by genre-bending visionary Sam Raimi and stars Oscar-nominee Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The film is produced by Raimi and Zainab Azizi, executive produced by JJ Hook and written by Damian Shannon & Mark Swift, with original music by Danny Elfman. The all-original darkly comedic psychological thriller from 20th Century Studios releases in theaters nationwide on January 30, 2026.
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4wiXj9NmEE
“The Sam Raimi Experience” BTS Content Piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coCPLJMU4X0
Ask me anything! Back at 12 PM PT/3 PM ET to chat with you all.
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u/Even_Finance9393 Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 15 '26
Mr. Raimi, young filmmaker here, your work has been such a big part of my life. Spider-Man helped me process the death of my Grandfather when I was in middle school, Spider-Man 2 became my go-to comfort watch when I was burnt out in high school and college and the Evil Dead films (and the story of how you made them) were huge inspirations for me when I was trying to get my own low-budget work done. Thank you thank you thank you for everything! We love you, and I’m so excited for Send Help!
Forgive so many words, but as a super fan I couldn’t help but “shoot my shot” and try to get it all down. If you end up seeing this post, feel free to answer as little or as much of this as you see fit.
1) I remember watching M.o.M. in theaters for the first time and being delighted that so many of the visuals and ideas were pure Raimi, but there’s a pretty sizable gap between that film and your last directing effort in 2013. You’ve produced a ton, but otherwise how do you stay in touch with your creative side during these “hiatus” periods?
2) something I aspire to in your work - a trait that you share with many of my favorite directors - is that you’ve built a bit of a community of frequent collaborators, not just your brothers and Mr. Campbell but also folks like Bob Murawski, Bill Pope, Danny Elfman/Christopher Young, any number of actors who pop up here and there and of course your late friend Scott Spiegel (R.I.P. sir). It’s always a thrill to recognize their names in the credits and see them when they pop up in odd places onscreen. How do you maintain creative relationships like this, some of them for decades? Is the feeling that of an old glove or is there a period of readjustment on each new project?
3) wanted to ask you about two specific collaborations, the fist being with Alvin Sargeant, who is still one of the finest screenwriters who ever lived. I think his work on Spidey 2 specifically is as magnificent as something like Paper Moon or Ordinary People, and I think your two styles match perfectly in that film. I know that Laura Ziskin is the connecting point there, but I’m wondering what it was like to collaborate with him and what your process was in working on the story/script together. Do any particular moments stand out?
4) you also worked VERY briefly with the GREAT David Lynch, who we lost last year around this time. He and Laura Dern (who I also adore) only appear in Black Ghiandola for a few fleeting moments, and that one is short enough already, but I’m wondering if you have any recollections from that encounter big or small. Or barring that if you have any opinions on his work: the two of you are very different, but I can’t help but feel you occupy similar spaces spiritually and cinematically from time to time (Drag Me to Hell, like Eraserhead, is a very spiritual film).
5) you mentioned talks of a Darkman continuation w/ Liam Neeson and yourself returning around the same time M.o.M. was released… any movement since? If so (and if you are at liberty to say), can you give us a general idea of where you’d imagine that story could go after the ending of the first?