Raimi, Sam (1959– )

US film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his sharp, edgy, off-beat adventure films and thrillers, and directed several independent and alternative features before moving to Hollywood blockbusters such as Spider-Man (2002) and its sequel Spider-Man 2 (2004).

He formed the film company Renaissance Pictures with producer Rob Tapert and actor Bruce Campbell and released The Evil Dead (1983), a low-budget horror film that soon achieved cult status and was followed by several sequels. After directing these and the comic book-inspired fantasy Darkman (1990), he moved to producing more mainstream features including films for Belgian martial arts actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, such as Hard Target (1993) and Timecop (1994). His other directing credits include the western The Quick and the Dead (1995), the psychological thriller A Simple Plan (1998), the supernatural crime drama The Gift (2000), and the thriller The Grudge (2004). He has frequently collaborated with the Coen brothers, shooting second unit footage on a number of their films and co-writing The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). He also produced popular television series such as Xena: Warrior Princess (1995).

He grew up in Michigan, directing his own films on a Super 8 camera. He attended Michigan State University before he left to pursue his career in filmmaking. He frequently appears in cameo roles in his films.