Well it’s now been confirmed, Sam Raimi is going to produce a new “The Shadow” movie. Yahoo news gives us this:
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Columbia Pictures and “Spider-Man” director
Sam Raimi know. After a lengthy negotiation, the studio has acquired the screen rights to “The Shadow,” the legendary 1930s pulp hero, for a big-screen adaptation to be produced by Raimi and Josh Donen through their Buckaroo Entertainment banner. Raimi is not attached to direct at this time.
Meh, this means nothing to me. Who cares if Sam Raimi is “producing” the stupid thing. I was interested when I thought there was a chance the man would be actually DIRECTING The Shadow. As a producer, Raimi’s influence on the film will be minimal. Unless he’s the man in the chair, this story isn’t that interesting to me. However, whoever they get to direct, I am glad they’re bringing The Shadow back. As I mentioned the other day I just loved the Alec Baldwin version… good to see it making a return…. I just wish Raimi was directing it.
PLEASE cast Campbell as the SHADOW!!!!
Despite the presense of John Lone, I HATED the film with Alec Baldwin.
I hated Baldwin.
I hated Penelpe Ann Miller, and up until that point, I never did.
I hated Tim Curry, and up to that point, I never did (he tended to play the same hoodlum henchmen over and over again during this time frame in his career)
I liked Razorback; I loved the first Highlander. I still have Duran Duran’s concert music video Arena on old crusty VHS. However ‘Shadow’ sealed it : Russell Mulchahy is not my favorite director…
So a new version is happening, and Sam Raimi is producing, and John Campea is indeed selling his involvement short. I don’t think this is like ‘Hard Target’ in regards to his involvement; I think, if he doesn’t helm, it’ll be along the lines of ‘Grudge’ in terms of involvement.
I absolutely love the Alec Baldwin version. Sure it was cheesy to some, but man the Jerry Goldsmith score really amps the thing up, and it totally feels like a 1930’s radio serial, and IMO, it was just a cool movie.
My understanding was that Lucas produced Empire and Return to have MORE power then he would have had as a director. Maybe Raimi is doing the same…send some one out to shoot, then he gets final approval on how it is all put together.
There are a lot of different kinds of producers. Maybe Raimi will just be the guy who secures the funding for this picture. A real movie producer, though, usually has more influence over what a picture turns out to be than any director, writer or cinematographer. A producer will spend years of his life putting together a package that even a talented director can’t ruin. A director may spend a year with a project. A producer may spend a decade with a project. Don’t sell producers short. A good one will be an indispensable part of the filmmaking process and his influence over the project will extend to every minute detail of its realization.
My understanding was that he was doing a movie that would have Doc Savage, the Shadow, and some other pulp characters.