'Evil Dead' remake confirmed

Alright you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! It looks like Ash will be coming back to the big screen after all in a remake of the 1981 cult classic "Evil Dead." That is right. Star Bruce Campbell confirmed this news via Twitter saying: “Believe in the remake, dawg! The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell.” 

Before you horror purists start flipping over tables and violently sharpening your machetes, you might be pleased to hear that the original director Sam Raimi will be the one tampering with the beloved horror classic. According to Cinemablend, Raimi claims that it’ll be a small, low-budget indie in the mold of the original.

The reasons for my lack of enthusiasm for this remake are twofold. 1:Since it is likely to turn out terrible, I would hate to see the legacy of the original film tainted. 2: In the off chance that it happens to be good, I really don't want to purchase another edition of the film seeing as though I already own several of the re-issues that Anchor Bay keeps pumping out of the original film. 

How do you feel about the remake? It is ok to vent your frustrations. This is a safe space

Sam Raimi's 'Oz: Great and Powerful' gets release date

It has been a few years since the release of Sam Raimi's critically acclaimed horror film "Drag Me To Hell." After spending some time producing episodes of TV's "Spartacus," it appears Raimi is going to be making his comeback to the big screen via "Oz: Great and Powerful."

This prequel to 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" is set to feature James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis. Rather than rush this one out to theaters as fast as possible, Disney is apparently going to let Raimi take his time with this one. A release date is set for March 8, 2013. 

Sam Raimi developing 'EDF' alien movie?

Sam Raimi ("Drag Me to Hell") and "District 9" producer Bill Block are cooking up a project with Warner Bros. It's titled "EDF" (Earth Defense Force), and word is it's going to be a big-budget alien flick.

Andrew Marlowe wrote the script, and Vulture says the story starts with some aliens heading to Earth to destroy many landmarks and military installations. Now humans must get ready for a bigger attack.

Okay, I'm sold at this point, and I obviously wish Raimi would take the helm here, but I have some directors in mind I believe could handle material like this pretty well. Neill Blomkamp, maybe?

Columbia kills 'Spider-Man 4' and plans reboot!

Whoa! No more 'Spider-Man' with Raimi and co. Columbia plans reboot of series

Last week Sony decided to put "Spider-Man 4' on hold because script problems delayed plans to head into production this year, and today comes the announcement that Columbia has officially killed the fourth installment in the series.

The bad news is that the studio now plans to reboot the whole franchise, and Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will not return. Even worse: the plan is to send Peter Parker back to high school. What the hell are they thinking?

In a press release, Columbia said the new film will feature new filmmakers and actors. The plan is to release the flick in 2012, and it will be based on a script by James Vanderbilt. More news on this so-called reboot will be released soon.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre," said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

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No 'Spider-Man 4' for a while; project on hold!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man won't be swinging by your local theater for a while...

Spidey may not make it in time for the scheduled May 6, 2011 release date of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 4," because Sony has put the project on hold for now. The reason is quite simple: the script still sucks. Well, it's not ready yet.

Raimi told MTV last year the fourth installment in the popular series would start shooting in March 2010, and Sony later shot for a February start date. None of this is happening, and the project is on ice until script issues are fully resolved.

As Variety points out, a bunch of folks already took a stab at the script, including David Koepp and James Vanderbilt. Right now, Alvin Sargent is working on the story. That said, Sony will still try to release the film in 2011.

As far as I'm concerned, they better turn this script into something great. I loved the first two films, but the third one unfortunately failed to win me over. It looks like the original cast will be back, so story is all they have to focus and worry about now.

Sam Raimi spills 'Warcraft' movie details

Sam Raimi recently talked to the folks at MTV and had a lot to say about his upcoming big-screen adaptation of the ultra-popular "World of Warcraft" online role-playing game. First up: a new screenwriter.

Raimi said Oscar-nominated writer Robert Rodat ("Saving Private Ryan") would tackle the script for "Warcraft," which the director said will be an original adaptation of the game itself.

"We want to be really faithful to the game," Raimi told MTV. "We would have our writer, Robert Rodat, really craft an original story within that world that feels like a 'World of WarCraft' adventure.

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Saturday film news web roundup: Lars von Trier picks next film; Roland Emmerich talks projects

It's Saturday again, and here's a brief entry with short descriptions and links to film news we either missed or quite honestly didn't have time to add. Here's what you need to know on October 10, 2009:

• Filmmaker Lars von Trier will next write and direct a disaster film titled "Planet Melancholia." Plot details are kept under wraps, but I'm sure we're in for a visually stunning film. Trier last helmed "Antichrist." "Planet Melancholia" should be ready by the time Cannes rolls around in 2011. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Roland Emmerich recently talked to Coming Soon about some upcoming projects, and he said he will do a film about "how it came to be that William Shakespeare was not the author of his plays." He's also planning a movie titled "Foundation," based on Isaac Asimov's series. More here.

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Neil Marshall to direct 'Burst 3D' for Lionsgate

Lionsgate today announced it has acquired worldwide distribution rights to "Burst 3D," a 3D horror thriller Neil Marshall will direct and Sam Raimi and his Ghost House Pictures will produce.

The synopsis of the film goes like this: A group of stranded travelers meet during a blizzard and are stalked by a malevolent force that makes people spontaneously combust. Gary Dauberman wrote the script.

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James Vanderbilt to write 'Spider-Man 5 & 6'

"Spider-Man" is entering "Saw" territory as Sony is planning to develop at least a fifth and sixth film in the popular series that kicked of with Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" in 2002. That's right, Spidey will continue to protect the neighborhood on the big-screen for who knows how long.

From Variety comes the news that James Vanderbilt is set to write "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6." Vanderbilt started writing the upcoming "Spider-Man 4," which was rewritten by David Lindsay-Abaire and then Gary Ross. That film is set for release in May 2011.

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Pixar's 'Up' grabs $21M Friday

Pixar's latest family adventure "Up" flew to the top of the North American box office Friday with a solid $21.4 milllion in ticket sales (the film opened at 3,766 locations). That's just $1.7 million less than the studio's previous film, "WALL-E."

Directed by Pete Docter, the film follows a 78-year-old man who decides to fulfill his dream and take his entire house on an exciting trip to South America. Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer and Jordan Nagai lead the voice cast.

At No. 2, Shawn Levy's Ben Stiller vehicle "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" grabbed another $7.5 million, lifting its domestic total to $87.3 million.

Meanwhile, Sam Raimi's latest horror flick "Drag Me to Hell" debuted in third place Friday, earning $6.4 million from 2,508 locations. Starring Alison Lohman, the film follows a loan officer who is cursed by a creepy old lady.

McG's "Terminator Salvation" took home $5 million at No. 4, bringing its cumulative gross to $79.6 million. Following in fifth place with $3.6 million was J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek," which reached a total haul of $200.3 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)