‘Darkman’ Again? Sam Raimi Says Universal Has Started Talking About a Legacy Sequel
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” we brought about his first gonzo superhero movie, “Darkman.” And whether or not there’s a possibility for a new installment in the franchise.“Darkman” was released in 1990, accompanied by one of the more memorable promotional campaigns of the period (“Who is Darkman?”) and starring two future dynamos: Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand. It was Raimi’s first big studio movie after the indie success of his horror classic “Evil Dead II,” and while Universal probably wanted it to be the next “Batman,” it was far zanier and more esoteric, a superhero movie by way of old Universal monster movies, neo-noirs from that period and Raimi’s love of classic radio serial “The Shadow” (when we asked if he still wanted to do a “Shadow” movie, he gave an emphatic “Yes”).And while “Darkman” wasn’t the blockbuster Universal was hoping for, it did moderately well, established a long and loyal cult following and inspired a number of ancillary material, including video games, comic books and a pair of direct-to-video sequels, 1995’s “Darkman II: The Return of Durant” and 1996’s “Darkman III: Die Darkman Die” (both had Arnold Vosloo taking over the Neeson role).