Sam Raimi’s DARKMAN Is Coming Back With a New Movie and New Directors
A new Darkman movie is officially clawing its way out of the shadows, and yes, this one is coming straight from the twisted brain trust that launched the franchise in the first place.
If you’ve been waiting decades to see the bandage-wrapped vigilante return, it looks like that patience is finally being rewarded.
The original Darkman hit theaters in 1990 and was written and directed by Sam Raimi. The film starred Liam Neeson as Peyton Westlake, a brilliant scientist left horribly disfigured after a brutal attack. With his life destroyed and his sanity pushed to the edge, Westlake creates synthetic skin and reinvents himself as a savage, tragic antihero.
The movie also featured Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, and Larry Drake, helping cement the film as one of the most unhinged and inventive comic book movies of its era.
The franchise didn’t stop there. Two direct-to-video sequels followed with Darkman II: The Return of Durant in 1995 and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die in 1996, both directed by Bradford May. While Raimi wasn’t directing those follow-ups, the character lived on in full pulp madness.
Now, according to Dread Central, a brand-new Darkman movie is officially in development. This time, directing duties are going to Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, who will helm the project for Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures.
Raimi’s working relationship with the duo goes back a few years. As the report explains:
“Raimi first worked with the duo on the Quibi series 50 States of Fright, which led to Ghost House producing Don’t Move, a thrilling psychological horror film in which a seasoned killer injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent, and she must run, fight, and hide before her body shuts down.”
Raimi himself confirmed the sequel is actively being pushed forward, even if the road has a few familiar speed bumps. He previously said:
“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.”
As of now, there’s no casting news, no plot details, and no release date locked in. It’s very early days, but the fact that a script exists and Raimi is actively involved is a big deal for fans of the character. Hopefully, they get Liam Neeson back, though!
The original film is described like this: “When thugs employed by a crime boss lead a vicious assault on Dr. Peyton Wilder (Liam Neeson), leaving him literally and psychologically scarred, an emergency procedure allows him to survive.
“Upon his recovery, Wilder can find solace only by returning to his scientific work developing synthetic skin, and seeking revenge against the crime boss. He assumes a phantom avenger persona called Darkman, who, with malleable facial qualities, is able to infiltrate and sow terror in the criminal community.”
A new Darkman movie doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. It just needs to lean into the raw, tragic energy that made the original so damn memorable. If Raimi and Ghost House can pull this off, horror fans and comic book geeks alike are in for something wickedly fun.