Disney has rescued the Sam Raimi horror film Netflix sat on for five years
If you thought Sam Raimi’s Every House is Haunted was lost to Netflix limbo, think again — it’s back in play under Disney, but via which banner?
Just when you thought Every House is Haunted had fallen straight into the abyss of lost Netflix projects, it pops up again – this time wearing mouse ears. After kicking about in development hell for five years, Sam Raimi’s supernatural thriller has officially been rescued by 20th Century Studios, meaning Disney’s now the one in charge of getting it made. It’s genuinely odd to see Netflix fumble something for half a decade, only for Disney to swoop in and give it a go, but here we are.
20th Century Studios has revived the Sam Raimi-produced horror film Every House is Haunted, after it languished for five years at Netflix.
The film’s based on Ian Rogers' short story 'The House on Ashley Avenue' — a title you'll likely clock if you’re into modern ghost stories. Raimi’s not directing this one; Adam Schindler and Brian Netto are set to helm the thing, and the pair have a bit of a knack for creepy thrillers. The producing lineup is bigger than average, with Raimi joined by Zainab Azizi, Roy Lee, and Andrew Childs. The script from Jason Pagan and Andrew Deutschman was bought by Netflix back in 2021, so it’s had time to marinate. Nobody’s bothered to explain why it sat gathering dust for ages, but at least it’s un-stuck now and marching forward again under Disney’s banner.
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Raimi's Recent Horror CV
In case you’ve lost track of Sam Raimi’s recent horror output, the bloke’s kept busy. He stepped back into the director’s chair for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, making Marvel’s wilder sequel look and feel surprisingly like a horror film at points — not something Marvel’s exactly famous for. After that, Raimi went full-tilt into horror-comedy with Send Help, starring Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, and Xavier Samuel. Critics and audiences properly liked that one; it’s sitting at a 92% Tomatometer and an 86% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. It cost $40 million to make and ended up clearing $94 million worldwide, so not too shabby on the financials either.
What’s Next for Raimi?
Raimi’s already back at it with another horror film on the way — though he’s not directing, just producing this time round. He’s working with Stephen King to finally give Desperation a proper cinematic adaptation. The novel was turned into a telly film back in 2006 (directed by Mick Garris, with Tom Skerritt and Annabeth Gish in the leads), but this is the first stab at a proper feature version. If you’re not familiar, Desperation is your classic King setup: strangers stranded in the middle of nowhere Nevada, getting picked off by some unfathomable ancient evil.