Sam Raimi Explains Why He Took a 9 Year Break From Directing Films

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the first feature film that Sam Raimi has directed since the 2013 film Oz, The Great and Powerful. Between then and now, he’s been doing some TV series work, as well as producing and writing other projects for other directors.

If you’ve been wondering why Raimi took a nine-year break from directing movies, he explained that he was learning from the young filmmakers he was working with, having life experiences, and recharging his batteries. This is what he told /Film:

"I had to refresh myself, I didn't want to repeat myself. I didn't want to do something that was stale. I felt like I had to experience the world again, [including] filmmaking, from these young filmmakers that I was producing. I allowed myself to be inspired by them. I raised my kids, learned from that experience, and spent a lot of time in the garden thinking. And when this call finally came in, I thought, I'm refreshed. I'm hungry. I've got a lot of new experiences. I'm ready to go back to directing."

Good for him! I’m a huge fan of Raimi, not only for his film work but also for just being a good and decent human being. I had the opportunity to meet him and talk with him once and he was just so damn pleasant and soft-spoken. It’s like he actually listened to me and what I was saying and he was so thoughtful and humble with his responses. Raimi is the man.

I’m so happy that he’s back in action and that he decided to jump onboard Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and direct it! He did such an incredible job with the film and I can’t wait to see him direct his next movie!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuts in theaters on May 6th, 2022.