After cutting his teeth on low-budget horror, Sam Raimi was ready for the big leagues. The breakout success of Tim Burton’s BATMAN had launched a new wave of comic-book-inspired films, and Raimi was eager to join the fray.

But when he couldn’t secure the rights to characters like Batman or The Shadow, he did what any determined filmmaker would do: he invented his own. Enter DARKMAN — a twisted, operatic superhero tale about identity, vengeance, and science gone awry.

In this episode, we trace the development of DARKMAN from Raimi’s original pitch through a turbulent studio production at Universal, exploring how creative clashes shaped the final film. We’ll also examine the movie’s legacy, how it opened new doors for Raimi, and why it remains a fan favorite decades later.

Watch the unaired DARKMAN TV pilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgiScRY0FRA

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.