What's up with Sam Raimi and what about those SPIDER-MAN 3 villain rumors'
Published at: March 23, 2005, 12:05 p.m. CST by staff
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with the latest on Sam Raimi. I got this bit of info this morning regarding Sam Raimi producing a film for The Pang Brothers, who are responsible for THE EYE:
Hi, Harry! Long time listener, first time caller. I'm an actress in Regina, Saskatchewan. There's actually lots of film activity here (we just hosted TIDELAND!). I just learned that Sam Raimi will be co-producing a film here called Scarecrow. It's a horror film, to be directed by The Pang Brothers. I don't know if it's a straight English language remake of their earlier film (like he did with THE GRUDGE) as a check on IMDB reveals the plots are a little different. Sounds like principal photography will be starting this summer.
I liked the grit of THE GRUDGE remake, but I hated the over-use of CG and overall Americanization of the film. Now, I like THE EYE a lot, but I really didn't care for the sequel (minus the raining children scene) and I've heard from friends that are deeply into Asian cinema that the other Pang Bros flicks are kinda shitty. However, I'm curious to see what Raimi is doing with these guys, to see what this SCARECROW project is, especially since the screenplay is by Stuart Beattie (who wrote COLLATERAL and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN).
In other news, in a particular story at a site called Press Connects they have an interview with effects dude Tim Phoenix. This article has been around for a few days, even before the official announcement from Raimi that Thomas Hayden Church was cast as the villain, but now everybody is jumping on this article saying it's fact that the villains will be Venom and Man-Wolf.
Man-Wolf makes a sort of sense since John Jameson is already in the series, but from everything I've heard THERE WILL BE NO VENOM in this film. I haven't heard who the villains are from my sources, so I'm not saying this as a fact, but I am saying that from every indication I've gotten, Raimi doesn't like Venom and wouldn't choose him as the main villain.
Click the above link and read the article. For one, they never attribute Venom and Man-Wolf as coming from Tim Phoenix. It's not Phoenix who said that, it's the person who wrote the article. I'm not saying this is total bullshit, but I am saying that it doesn't jive with what I've been hearing and what Raimi has said in interviews. We'll have an official announcement soon, I'm sure, so keep your pants on. There's a gaggle of cool villains. I have faith in Raimi to pick the right one for the film.
