Sam Raimi and Liam Neeson’s Darkman may finally get a new sequel 36 years after becoming a cult classic.
Raimi recently addressed the possibility of a Darkman follow-up happening, and confirmed that he is working on getting the movie made, but cautioned that there are still some roadblocks in place (via MovieWeb).
“Yes, Ghost House Pictures, the company I work with, is trying to make the sequel right now,” Raimi said. “We’ve got a screenplay and two great directors, but we’re still having a little difficulty with the financing. It’s always the same in the movie business.”
Raimi last updated the Darkman franchise’s status back in 2022 when he indicated that Universal was interested in making a new sequel, but seemed to imply that he was not yet directly involved in the project (via The Wrap).
“Universal is talking about a Darkman sequel,” the director revealed. “There’s a producer attached. I haven’t heard the story yet or gone into it, I’ve been so busy with [Doctor Strange]. But I think it’s cool.”
Darkman was a sleeper hit when it released in 1990, grossing $48.8 million on a reported budget of $14 million. Critics have largely been enthusiastic about the offbeat superhero horror movie, pushing the cult classic to an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The original film’s success led to a pair of direct-to-video sequels, Darkman II: The Return of Durant and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die, but Neeson was not in either film, while Raimi surrendered the director’s chair to Bradford May.
Neeson has himself discussed the possibility of returning for a new Darkman follow-up, expressing definite interest in reprising the role of Dr. Peyton Westlake.
“That’s a good question,” the actor said in response to a query about his potential return in a 2022 interview (via ComicBook.com). “I would be very interested in reading the script. Very.”
ScreenRant in a 2025 article noted that while Darkman and its original sequels flew largely under the radar, the franchise was nonetheless notable for being somewhat ahead of its time in translating comic book material for other media.
“The Darkman trilogy stands as a surprising early example of superhero franchise-building. It spawned a comic book adaptation published by Marvel, several novels, and even a video game.”
A pilot for a Darkman television series was made by Universal in 1992 to air on FOX, but the show was not picked up. Raimi’s return to directing R-rated horror, the survival thriller Send Help, is in theaters January 30.
- Release Date
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August 24, 1990
- Runtime
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96 minutes