“It’s a soap opera about a boy who loves a girl”: Sam Raimi’s Wild Pitch Landed Him Spider-Man Gig After Sony Had 18 Other Directors Lined Up Including Tim Burton

"It's a soap opera about a boy who loves a girl": Sam Raimi's Wild Pitch Landed Him Spider-Man Gig After Sony Had 18 Other Directors Lined Up Including Tim Burton

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies changed the world of cinema, superheroes, and comic books forever. Not only did he bring to life a popular comic book character, but also paved the way for comic-based movies to flight at a time when people hardly believed in live-action movies of their favorite superheroes. His vision inspired future franchises and played a crucial role in shaping the modern landscape of cinema.

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Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi

Even though he is widely credited to be the ‘originator’ and ‘facilitator’ of the superhero genre, Raimi wasn’t the first choice of Sony to direct a superhero movie. But his wild ‘pitching’ idea made Sony choose the Evil Dead director even when they had 18 credible directors to choose from.

Also Read: James Cameron Almost Brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to Marvel, Made Him a Ferocious Spider-Man Villain Before Tobey Maguire’s Trilogy

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How Sam Raimi Ended Up Directing The First Spider-Man Franchise

Spider-Man changed cinema forever
Spider-Man changed cinema forever

Also Read: “He answers to the fans”: Before Deadpool 3, Kevin Feige Almost Brought Hugh Jackman in $2.5B Spider-Man Franchise That Never Materialized

Sam Raimi‘s 2002 movie Spider-Man was an unexpected success for all. A director who is usually associated with movies like Evil Dead directs a superhero movie and makes it a commercial success and later a hit franchise was an impossible feat. But what seemed more impossible was Raimi being selected to direct the movie out of 18 other directors including Tim Burton.

“My agent, Josh Donen, said, ‘They want to be honest with you. There’s about 18 directors they’d rather have than you on a list.’ And I said, ‘OK, well, tell them I’m number 19.'”

He finally ended up in a meeting room for an hour in front of a big crowd, which included people like Amy Pascal and Avi Arad. And as Pascal states, Raimi’s vision was the reason he ended up helming the franchise.

“He [Raimi] came in and said it’s a soap opera about a boy who loves a girl, and that’ssam  what I want to focus on. John Calley and I just looked at each other and said, “Well, that’s the movie we want to make too.”

Furthermore, it was Sam Raimi’s passion for the character and not the ‘money’ that made everyone choose Raimi for the project and ultimately changed the world of superheroes forever.

Also Read: “They still hate me for it”: Doctor Strange 2 Director Sam Raimi Reveals Why Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 3 Killed His Own Franchise That Was Swiftly Replaced by Andrew Garfield

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Changed Cinema Forever

Spider-Man trilogy by Sam Raimi
Spider-Man trilogy by Sam Raimi

Live-action movie and TV adaptations of superheroes have been a normal feat since the 1950s, but it was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy that would change the world of superheroes forever. Not only would his movie bring comic-book adaptations to the mainstream, but it also laid the groundwork for future projects. It was because of the Spider-Man franchise that made it possible for franchises like MCU and DC to take over the box office and become part of popular culture.

Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire was the first movie to achieve as high a success as it did. It made the audience realize the depth and influence of superhero movies and how they could be enjoyed by people of all ages. Not only did it change people’s perception of cinema, but it also demonstrated cinema is not limited to traditional storytelling boundaries but could transcend genres and create a broader creative narrative.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy can be streamed on Disney+.

Source: Variety

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Written by Maria Sultan

A recent political science graduate, Maria can often be found deeply immersed in a book or creating art. A political science fanatic and history lover, content writing is one of her many hobbies. From international relations to entertainment, her pen is not restricted to any one domain. In her free time, she can often be found debating about the nuance of politics, history, or art or found binge watching her favourite kdramas, anime or series.

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