New Bites: Darkman, demons and Alice!
Darkman is officially getting a new entry. In a recent conversation with MovieWeb, legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi confirmed that his production company, Ghost House Pictures, are working on something.
“We’ve got a screenplay and two great directors, but we’re still having a little difficulty with the financing,” Raimi admitted. “It’s always the same in the movie business.”
Though Raimi is playing his cards close to his chest regarding who will sit in the director’s chair, the industry is betting on Adam Schindler and Brian Netto. The duo has already built a rapport with Raimi on the thriller Don’t Move and the upcoming Every House Is Haunted. Most tellingly, Schindler has previously gone on record calling a Darkman reboot their “dream project.”
For the uninitiated, the original 1990 Darkman was a masterful blend of Universal Horror aesthetics and comic book grit. It starred a young Liam Neeson (where Raimi wanted Bruce Campbell to be) as Dr. Peyton Westlake.
After a brutal gangland attack leaves him scarred and unable to feel physical pain, Westlake uses experimental synthetic skin to infiltrate the criminal underworld. The catch? The skin dissolves after 99 minutes of exposure to light, a ticking clock that provides the film’s signature tension.
While a new Raimi-produced sequel is big news, it’s not the character’s first time returning. The franchise was a pioneer of the 90s direct-to-video boom, spawning two sequels with Arnold Vosloo taking over the mantle from Neeson. Darkman II: The Return of Durant featured the return of the original villain, Larry Drake and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die, a fresh adventure featuring Jeff Fahey as the antagonist.
The Darkman mythos didn’t stop at the screen; the initial success birthed a 30-minute TV pilot, a dedicated comic book line, and even a series of novels. Now, decades later, it seems the world is finally ready for Westlake to emerge from the shadows once again.
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice has seen it’s first official image pop up online giving us a glimpse of our lead trio: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, and Eiza González. While they look ready for business, the premise suggests they are in for a night they, and perhaps their past selves, will never forget.
The story follows two gangsters and the woman they love as they attempt to survive the most dangerous night of their lives thanks to a time machine.
The film is written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski, the mind behind the hit Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and the revival of Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Described as a “hilarious, stylized, R-rated action-comedy,” the project clearly isn’t afraid to get messy or weird.
Beyond the leading trio, the supporting cast is stacked with heavy hitters and fan favorites, including Ben Schwartz, Stephen Root, Keith David, Emily Hampshire, Jimmy Tatro, Lewis Tan and Arturo Castro
Produced by Andrew Lazar (American Sniper), with Richard Middleton and Vanessa Humphrey serving as executive producers, this is shaping up to be one of the most unique releases of the year.
The Exorcist from Mike Flanagan will have Diane Lane joining an already powerhouse lineup, starring alongside Scarlett Johansson and breakout talent Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet). With production kicking off in New York City this spring, the pieces are falling into place for what might be the most ambitious entry in the franchise yet.
This is a New Chapter, not a retread, if you’re worried about another reboot or a direct sequel to 2023’s Believer. Flanagan, the mastermind behind The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass is crafting an all-new story set within the universe.
Flanagan isn’t shy about his ambitions:
“This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise… I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made.”
It’s still a bit off with a release date of March 12, 2027, but I’m hoping this will be radical, terrifying, and pointedly not built on pure nostalgia. Flanagan has built his career on blending deep emotional trauma with bone-chilling scares. Combining that sensibility with a cast of this caliber suggests we aren’t just getting a horror movie; we’re getting an event.