Stephen King i Sam Raimi are perhaps two of the most well-known filmmakers in the horror genre. During one of his promotional events for his film, ‘Send Help’, Raimi had opened up about how much he loves and respects Stephen King. Not only that, but during the interview, she credited King for being one of the main factors in why she was able to break into the film industry.
Sam Raimi credits Stephen King with his entry into the film industry
During his promotional run for his latest film, ‘Send Help’, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien in the lead roles, Raimi spoke of his respect for Stephen King. While speaking with Cinema Blend at the time, the director shared how King is one of the main reasons for his entry into the film industry and the horror genre.He revealed that King’s support of his film ‘The Evil Dead’ meant a lot to him, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert, all of whom had worked to make the film a reality while at Michigan State University. When Raimi was asked if his work is influenced by King, he commented, “Forever, he gave me my break in the business.”He then detailed the struggles he faced with ‘The Evil Dead,’ sharing that “No one would touch ‘Evil Dead’ with a 10-foot plague stick, and then Stephen King was in the Cannes theater, the market. He saw it and gave us a great review in ‘Twilight Zone’ magazine.” He also added that it was a great moment for him and that he was truly honored because King is his “biggest, giant hero.”Stephen King’s influence was already well established in the market, and with his rave reviews of ‘The Evil Dead’, the film ended up being a huge success, and is now known as one of the pioneering moments of modern horror. King had written at the time that: “This [Sam Raimi] it is an untested genius; that he has made the most fiercely original horror film of 1982 seems to me beyond doubt.” When no one else believed in his project, it was King who gave the industry newcomer a chance.
About ‘The Evil Dead’
The film centers around the concept of the Book of the Dead, with the first film showing 5 college students traveling to a cabin in the middle of a vacation. When they discover the Book of the Dead along with a tape, the group unknowingly unleash an evil, demonic force that possesses them all one by one. When the group plays the spell on the audio tape, it releases the spirit that resides in the forest, which then seeks them out and turns them into violent monsters known as Deadites. There are a total of 6 movies in the “Evil Dead” franchise. The first three: ‘The Evil Dead’ (1981), ‘Evil Dead II’ (1987) and ‘Army of Darkness’ (1992), were all directed by Sam Raimi. The next film, ‘Evil Dead’ (2013) was directed by Fede Álvarez. ‘Evil Dead Rise’ (2023) was then directed by Lee Cronin, while the latest installment, ‘Evil Dead Burn’ (2026) was directed by Sébastien Vaniček.A prequel film, ‘Evil Dead Wrath’, will be released in 2028 and will be directed by Francis Galluppi.