Sam Raimi
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
In 1999, Raimi was named the sixth recipient of the Beatrice Wood Film Award
See also the biography of Bruce Campbell for more information on the early horror films.
Biography
Born in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan in 1959, Sam Raimi began making movies with Bruce Campbell and some other friends when they were in their teens. The two would continue to collaborate repeatedly over the span of their careers. Raimi attended Michigan State University, but dropped out to make "The Evil Dead" (1981), starring Campbell. The film proved to be the beginning of a partnership with Robert Tapert (a roommate of Raimi's older brother) as a producer. Featuring Raimi's trademark kinetic camerawork, "The Evil Dead" would become a cult phenomenon and spawn a series of films as well as a reboot and a TV series. In 1994 Raimi created his first TV series. "M.A.N.T.I.S." (Fox, 1994-95), about a paralyzed doctor who becomes a superhero when assisted by a powered exoskeleton, was envisioned as a filmed comic book, but didn't make an impression with audiences and was cancelled after one season. The next year he created the hit show "Xena: Warrior Princess" (Syndication, 1995-2001). Raimi also continued to direct a variety of studio films including the critically acclaimed "A Simple Plan" (1998) and baseball film "For Love of the Game" (1999). He returned to fully embrace his inner comic book geek when he directed the blockbuster "Spider-Man" (2002), which became the first film to gross over $100 million in a single weekend. Raimi directed the next two films of his "Spider-Man" trilogy, then returned to the horror genre with "Drag Me to Hell" (2009). Although a prolific producer of television, Raimi didn't direct any until 2014, when he helmed the pilot for "Rake" (Fox, 2014) starring Greg Kinnear. In 2015, he directed the pilot for "Ash vs. Evil Dead" (Starz, 2015-18), Executive Producing with Robert Tapert, and starring Bruce Campbell.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Producer (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1978
Co-wrote and directed short film "Within the Woods" with Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell
1978
Founded Michigan State University Society for Creative Filmmaking
1979
Co-founded Renaissance Motion Pictures with Tapert and Campbell
1981
Directed horror classic "The Evil Dead"
1985
Made minor appearance in "Spies Like Us"
1987
Feature producing debut, executive produced sequel "Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn"; also directed and co-scripted with Scott Spiegel
1989
Served as executive producer on direct-to-video "Easy Wheels"; also reportedly co-wrote screenplay under a pseudonym
1990
Directed first studio film "Darkman"; also co-scripted with brother Ivan Raimi
1993
Executive produced Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle "Hard Target," the U.S. debut of celebrated Hong Kong director John Woo
1993
Played the flunky of camp director Alan Arkin in Mike Binder's "Indian Summer"
1993
Made TV movie acting debut in "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (NBC)
1994
Made miniseries acting debut in Stephen King's "The Stand" (ABC)
1994
Created short-lived Fox series "M.A.N.T.I.S."
1994
Executive produced syndicated TV movie "Hercules and the Amazon Women"
1994
Re-teamed with Van Damme to produce "Timecop"
1995
Executive produced direct-to-video sequels "Darkman II: The Return of Durant" and "Darkman III: Die Darkman Die"
1995
First film as director for script he did not write, the Western "The Quick and the Dead"
1995
Executive produced cultish supernatural drama "American Gothic"
1995
Executive produced hugely successful syndicated spin-off series "Xena: Warrior Princess"
1995
Executive produced syndicated fantasy series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"
1998
Returned to features as director of "A Simple Plan"
1999
Directed Kevin Costner vehicle in baseball-themed "For the Love of the Game"
2000
Helmed thriller "The Gift" with Cate Blanchett playing a psychic who becomes embroiled in a local murder
2002
Directed blockbuster "Spider-Man"
2004
Returned to direct second installment "Spider-Man 2," again starring Maguire
2007
Directed Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco in third installment "Spider-Man 3"
2009
Returned to directing horror with "Drag Me to Hell"
2010
Executive produced Starz series "Spartacus" and 2011 mini-series "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena"
2013
Helmed fantasy adventure "Oz the Great and Powerful," starring James Franco in title role
2013
Produced "Evil Dead" remake directed by Fede Alvarez
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
In 1999, Raimi was named the sixth recipient of the Beatrice Wood Film Award
See also the biography of Bruce Campbell for more information on the early horror films.
