ROTTEN TOMATOES: Sam Raimi Dragging Ellen Page to Hell

Sam Raimi Dragging Ellen Page to Hell

Director's genre homecoming gets It Girl lead.

by Jeff Giles | February 11, 2008

Now that all those Hobbit rumors are out of the way, Sam Raimi can get started on his next thriller -- and with Ellen Page keeping him company, to boot.

Variety reports that Page -- currently riding high on her Oscar-nominated turn in Juno -- has signed on to topline Drag Me to Hell, the Ghost House production Raimi is set to direct from a script he wrote with his brother Ivan. As discussed here in December, Hell is "described as a morality tale about the unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse." The picture is set to be released by Universal, and the studio's chairmen, Marc Shmuger and David Linde, couldn't be happier:

"Sam Raimi's return to horror is a cause for celebration. Having Ellen Page onboard to star is an abundance of riches."

Drag Me to Hell marks the second high-profile project Page has signed on for this year; she also recently committed to Whip It, the story of a teen roller derby star that will mark Drew Barrymore's directorial debut.

Source: Variety

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(1-20 of 45 posts) | Reply

miroshima writes:
on Feb 11 2008 06:24 AM

I'm a Bruce Campbell away from excitement.

(Reply to this)

Xavier Telouran writes:
on Feb 11 2008 07:14 AM

A script Sam wrote with his brother Ivan? Geez, did Avi Arad remember to tell him to throw in Venom too?

Well, I GUESS we can give those two a second chance, since I still hold to my conspiracy theory that Raimi tanked Spidey 3 after Arad spent too much time meddling. So here's your shot at redemption, and you move closer to the mark adding her, I think.

(Reply to this)

frogleg writes:
on Feb 11 2008 07:33 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567815)
Just the fact that Sam & Ivan wrote another horror movie is a move closer to the mark. Just because Spidey 3 was mediocre doesn't make Raimi an automatic hack. Evil Dead? Spidey 1 & 2?

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 11 2008 07:35 AM

Finnaly Sam Raimi is going back to horror(The Evil Dead series was ausome).

(Reply to this)

DaHypr1 writes:
on Feb 11 2008 07:36 AM

agreed. one bad movie and he gets shunned off the face of the earth? i still hold him in high respects with what he did with the first two spidey films and yes with the evil dead films. hes awesome in my book and im looking forward to this

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 11 2008 07:37 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567815)
Everyone makes some bad movies, Raimi (The Gift). I didnt think S3 was bad, it just wasnt that good. I hope he comes back to do S4 so badly.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 11 2008 07:39 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567815)
I also think this will be cool, Cambell better have a part in this! I'm glad he's not doing THE HOBBIT, I'm soo happy that DEL TORO is doing it!

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Product_of_You writes:
on Feb 11 2008 08:19 AM

I actually really liked The Gift. I love Sam Raimi's direction, but him and Ivan's writing is pretty rough, which kinda deminishes hope for a new Raimi flick.

(Reply to this)

BrianInSD writes:
on Feb 11 2008 08:54 AM

It's nice to see Raimi return to directing something without the word "Spider-Man" in the title. He's been away for too long.

(Reply to this)

FireflyFan4evr writes:
on Feb 11 2008 08:58 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567832)
Raimi is an immediate hack BECAUSE of Spidey 1 & 2, and especially for Evil Dead (all of them except Army of Darkness, which was kinda cool). I'll probably get lambasted for this, but I find it strange how I'm the only person that hates the first two Spidey flicks and Evil Dead's (I've never seen Spiderman 3).

However, this project actually looks kinda cool- maybe back to a Darkman level of filmmaking.

(Reply to this)

Bloody Mathias writes:
on Feb 11 2008 09:03 AM

Yeah, it's been 8 years since Raimi last made a non-Spidey film.

It'll be nice to see him redeem himself with a small budget horror and get back to his roots. Ellen Page is also a plus and it means chicks too not just Raimi and horror fanboys will come out to see.

(Reply to this)

Xavier Telouran writes:
on Feb 11 2008 09:13 AM

I wasn't saying the man can't direct. I'm just saying he shouldn't write his own stuff. Spidey one was done largely by David Koepp, and 2 was a conglomeration of 4 writers including Alvin Sargent and the guys behind Smallville. Granted, Alvin did return on 3, but I think he was already working with a turkey, so who really cares if it gobbled? Again, I blame most of that on too many cooks in the kitchen and merely say it was a step back, not a "shun from the face of the earth."

And he's still not as bad as George Lucas. Just so we're clear...

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 11 2008 10:23 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567974)
Its understandable for some people to not like S1 and S2 to, I think Spiderman is something you either like or dont like. S3 was pretty good, S2 was great, S3 was mediocre.

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I Am Remote writes:
on Feb 11 2008 10:36 AM

"Written with his brother Ivan."

lol, oh my god. You might as well advertise a room a retarded howler monkees with finger paint smeared it on a wall. The only halfway decent Spider-Man movie was one, by Koepp. Spider-Man III and, everyone, II, are ridiculous scripts. Plot holes. Bad dialogue. Phoney motivations.

"Punch me, I bleed!" If only I could, Raimi's. If only I could.

(Reply to this)

Herberbaly writes:
on Feb 11 2008 11:16 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567974)
I agree with you FireFlyFan. All of the Spidey flicks were pretty damn terrible. There really isn't a whole lot of redeeming qualities in those flicks, unless you include horrible acting, a hideous looking Kirsten Dunst, and special f/x that look like something out of a DTV movie. I hate all the Spider-Man movies, and so should everyone else.

(Reply to this)

Bruce Campbell writes:
on Feb 11 2008 11:29 AM

In reply to this comment (#1567974)
Please die.

(Reply to this)

Bruce Campbell writes:
on Feb 11 2008 11:31 AM

Yeah, the first two Spider-man movies both have 90% here, and the third is still fresh. Plus 99.99% of people loved the first two.

So your opinion fails.

(Reply to this)

I Am Remote writes:
on Feb 11 2008 11:44 AM

Yes. Because nothing says "quality" like a lot of people liking something!!! N'Sync! Dancing with the Stars! And yes, Spider-Man movies. You're ridiculous. Go be a sheep somewhere else.

(Reply to this)

mysteriousone writes:
on Feb 11 2008 11:48 AM

In reply to this comment (#1568376)
your a stupid bastard!

(Reply to this)

Shatter24 writes:
on Feb 11 2008 11:52 AM

Its not just regular people liking the Spiderman movies (which to the movie studios, is all that matters) but critics all liked Spiderman 1 & 2, and at least over 1/2 liked three to some degree.

So, "I Am Remote", if its not the people, or the critics that judge the quality of a film, . . . who exactly is it? You? I somehow doubt you have some wisdom, that us other post-ers, the majority of critics, and the general public, don't have.

(Reply to this)