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Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Terrence Malick's turn.
Malick's younger years faced tragedy, as his younger brother died as he faced pressure over his musical studies. Malick graduated from Harvard College in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude. He then studied philosophy at Oxford. After a disagreement with his advisor, Gilbert Ryle, over Malick's thesis on the concept of world in Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Wittgenstein, Malick left Oxford without a degree. One of his most notable achievements was translating Heidegger's The Essence of Reasons into English. After returning to the United States, Malick taught philosophy at MIT while freelancing as a journalist. He subsequently earned an MFA from the brand-new AFI Conservatory in 1969, and he got contacts in the industry to start working as an uncredited writer. After one of his screenplays, Deadhead Miles, was made into what Paramount Pictures believed was an unreleasable film, Malick decided to direct his own scripts.
From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

It should be noted that as he started his career in the 1970s, some of the domestic grosses here will be adjusted by inflation. The table with his highest grossing films, however, will be left in its unadjusted form, as the worldwide grosses are more difficult to adjust.

Badlands (1973)

"In 1959, a lot of people were killing time. Kit and Holly were killing people."
His directorial debut. It stars Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Ramon Bieri and Warren Oates. Loosely based on the real-life murder spree of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate in 1958, the film follows Holly Sargis, a 15-year old who goes on a killing spree with her partner, Kit Carruthers.
In 1970, Malick started writing the script while on a road trip. Malick paid $25,000 of his own funds, while the remainder of his share was raised from professionals such as doctors and dentists. Sissy Spacek was chosen, despite being unknown and only appearing in one film, as Malick found her small-town Texas roots and accent were perfect for the part of the naive impressionable high school girl. In fact, he allowed her to help in the creative progress and accomodated the script based on her experiences. When Martin Sheen was suggested by the casting director, Malick was hesitant, thinking he was too old for the role. Spacek wrote in her autobiography that "the chemistry was immediate. He was Kit. And with him, I was Holly."
The film carried a low $300,000 budget and most of the crew was non-union. The film had a somewhat troubled production history: several members of the crew clashed with Malick, and another was severely injured when an explosion occurred while filming the fire scene. Jack Fisk served as art director for the film in his first of several collaborations with Malick. During production, Spacek and Fisk fell in love and got married one year after the year came out.
There are no available numbers for the film's original release. The only numbers we've got is a $54,396 run it had on the UK and New Zealand 15 years ago. The film received acclaim, particularly for its cinematography, soundtrack and acting, and has been named as one of the greatest films of the 1970s. It successfully launched the careers of Malick, Sheen and Spacek.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $0.
  
• Worldwide gross: $54,396.
  

Days of Heaven (1978)

"You've got to go through Hell before you get to Heaven."
His second film. It stars Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard and Linda Manz. Set in 1916, it tells the story of Bill and Abby, lovers who travel to the Texas Panhandle to harvest crops for a wealthy farmer. Bill persuades Abby to claim the fortune of the dying farmer by tricking him into a false marriage.
While on a trip to Cuba with producer Ben Schneider, Malick started working on the film. Malick had tried and failed to get Dustin Hoffman or Al Pacino to star in the film, and John Travolta auditioned for and won the lead role of Bill, but ABC-TV wouldn't let him out of his contract for his series Welcome Back Kotter. Impressed by The Wild Child, Malick asked Néstor Almendros to become the film's cinematographer, winning him over with his knowledge and willingness to use little studio lighting. They drew inspiration from painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Edward Hopper, and Andrew Wyeth, as well as photo-reporters from the start of the 20th century.
According to Almendros, the production was not "rigidly prepared", allowing for improvisation. Daily call sheets could have been more detailed, and the schedule changed to suit the weather. This upset some Hollywood crew members not used to working this way. Most crew members were used to a "glossy style of photography" and felt frustrated because Almendros did not give them much work. Daily, he asked them to turn off the lights they had prepared for him. Some crew members said that Almendros and Malick did not know what they were doing. The tension led to some of the crew quitting the production. Malick supported what Almendros was doing and pushed the film's look further, removing more lighting aids and leaving the image bare.
While the photography yielded the director satisfactory results, the rest of the production was difficult. The actors and crew reportedly viewed Malick as cold and distant. After two weeks of shooting, Malick was so disappointed with the dailies, he "decided to toss the script, go Leo Tolstoy instead of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, wide instead of deep [and] shoot miles of film with the hope of solving the problems in the editing room." Post-production took 2 years, as Malick had a difficult time shaping the film and getting the pieces to go together. He experimented with voice-overs from Linda Manz's character, scrapped much of the film's dialogue, replacing it with Manz's voice-over, which served as an oblique commentary on the story.
Schneider was disappointed with Malick. He had confronted Malick numerous times about missed deadlines and broken promises. Due to further cost overruns, he had to ask Paramount for more money, which he preferred not to do. When they screened a demo for Paramount and made their pitch, the studio was impressed and reportedly "gave Malick a very sweet deal at the studio, carte blanche, essentially".
Despite a heavy push from Paramount, the film was a box office bomb, earning just $3.4 million in its run. The film also received a polarizing response; while the cinematography was praised, the storyline and structure were points of criticism. But time was kind to the film, eventually being acknowleged as one of the best films of the 1970s. Despite losing money, Charles Bluhdorn (who ran Paramount's parent company Gulf + Western), loved it so much he offered Malick $1 million for his next project, whatever it was.
Malick began developing a project for Paramount named Q, that explored the origins of life on earth. During pre-production, he suddenly moved to Paris and disappeared from public view for years.

• Budget: $3,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $3,446,749. ($16.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $3,485,264.
  

The Thin Red Line (1998)

"Every man fights his own war."
His third film. Based on the novel by James Jones, it stars Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Ben Chaplin, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Jared Leto, Dash Mihok, Tim Blake Nelson, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, Larry Romano, John Savage and John Travolta. It tells a fictionalized version of the Battle of Mount Austen, which was part of the Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War, and portrays U.S. soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.
In 1978, Malick was approached by producer Bobby Geisler, and both exchanged different ideas for films that never materialized. Ten years later, Geisler visited him in Paris, and Malick was interested in adapting either Molière's Tartuffe or James Jones' The Thin Red Line. The following year, Malick wrote a 300-page script. As he slowly worked on the film, the producers earned his trust by providing him with reliable sources, paying his travel plans and getting him a mortgage in Paris. By 1995, Sony was involved, but new studio chairman John Calley did not think Malick could make his movie with the proposed $52 million budget. 20th Century Fox picked up the project, with the condition that Malick cast five known stars.
In 1995, once word went out that Malick was making another movie after many years, numerous actors approached him, flooding the casting directors until they had to announce they wouldn't be accepting more requests. Sean Penn told Malick that he would appear for just one dollar. Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Gary Oldman, and George Clooney offered to work for a fraction and some even offered to work for free. Bruce Willis even went as far as offering to pay for first-class tickets for the casting crew, to get a few lines for the movie. Before the casting was finalized, Nicolas Cage had lunch with Malick in Hollywood in February 1996. Malick went off to scout locations and tried calling Cage that summer only to find out that his phone number had been disconnected. Tom Sizemore, however, was offered a more substantial role in Saving Private Ryan and, when he could not contact Malick for several days, decided to do Spielberg's film instead. Edward Norton flew out to Austin and met Malick, who had been impressed by the actor's screen test for Primal Fear. Matthew McConaughey reportedly took a day off filming A Time to Kill to see Malick. Others followed, including William Baldwin, Edward Burns, Josh Hartnett, Crispin Glover, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stephen Dorff, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Malick's unconventional filming techniques included shooting part of a scene during a bright, sunny morning only to finish it weeks later at sunset. He made a habit of pointing the camera away during an action sequence and focus on a parrot, a tree branch or other fauna. Malick's reputation and working methods commanded great respect among the actors, with both Woody Harrelson and John Savage staying on for an extra month after they finished all of their scenes just to watch him at work.
Despite a big cast, some names were left out. Bill Pullman, Lukas Haas and Mickey Rourke performed but their scenes were eventually cut, while Billy Bob Thornton recorded narration that was scrapped. Editor Leslie Jones was on location for 5 months and rarely saw Malick, who left her to her own devices. After principal photography wrapped, she came back with a five-hour first cut and spent 7 months editing, with Thornton contributing 3 hours of narrative voice-over material. It was at this point that editor Billy Weber joined and they spent 13 months in post-production and the last 4 months mixing the film, using four Avid machines with a fifth added at one point. Malick edited the footage one reel at a time with the sound off while listening to a Green Day CD.
The editing resulted in many of the well-known cast members being on screen for only a brief period. John Travolta and George Clooney's appearances are little more than cameos, yet Clooney's name appears prominently in the marketing of the movie. The unfinished film was screened for the New York press in December 1998 and Adrien Brody attended a screening to find that his originally significant role, "to carry the movie", as he put it, had been reduced to two lines and approximately five minutes of screen time, while Malick changed the lead role to Caviezel. Brody actually shared his frustration:

"I was so focused and professional, I gave everything to it, and then to not receive everything... in terms of witnessing my own work. It was extremely unpleasant because I’d already begun the press for a film that I wasn’t really in. Terry obviously changed the entire concept of the film. I had never experienced anything like that. You know the expression ‘Don’t believe the hype’? Well, you shouldn’t."

The film started on limited release before expanding. The film failed to double its budget, although it earned almost $100 million worldwide. The film received critical acclaim, particularly for its philosophical depiction of war, Malick's direction, musical score, cinematography, screenplay, editing, and performances. It received 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, with Malick nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Malick rested for 20 years and then came back with a banger.

• Budget: $52,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $36,400,491. ($69.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $98,126,565.
  

The New World (2005)

"Once discovered, it was changed forever."
His fourth film. It stars Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis, Yorick van Wageningen and John Savage. It depicts the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement and inspired by the historical figures Captain John Smith, Pocahontas of the Powhatan tribe, and Englishman John Rolfe.
After The Thin Red Line, Malick worked on a film about Che Guevara and his failed revolution in Bolivia. When financing had yet to come through, Malick was offered the chance to direct The New World (a project he worked on since the 1970s) and left the Guevara project in March 2004. Christopher Plummer, while respectful of Malick, found the experience very frustrating. He told Malick "to get a writer" and complained about a scene where "this very emotional scene that I had suddenly was background noise." He said he would never work with Malick ever again, also telling him "you are so boring. You get in these ruts. You’ve got to get yourself a writer."
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who disliked its unfocused narrative and runtime. The audience hated it even more, and the film bombed with just $49 million worldwide. Nevertheless, Emmanuel Lubezki received an Oscar nomination for its cinematography. In the years since, it has been re-appraised.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $12,712,093. ($20.1 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $49,334,775.
  

The Tree of Life (2011)

"Nothing stands still."
His fifth film. The film stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Tye Sheridan. It follows the impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.
After Days of Heaven, Malick started working on Q, a film about the origin of life. Malick had an idea for a film that would be "a history of the cosmos up through the formation of the Earth and the beginnings of life." It would include elements such as a section set in the Middle East during World War I, and an underwater minotaur dreaming about the evolution of the universe. One day, Malick "just stopped" working on the film and left for Paris.
Decades later, Malick got help from a producer to get the project made. Brad Pitt got involved through his company, Plan B, and was eventually cast as the lead. At one point, Colin Farrell and Mel Gibson were attached. Heath Ledger was set to play the role of Mr. O'Brien, but dropped out (due to recurring sicknesses) a month before his death in early 2008. Sean Penn was proud of the film, although he said, "The screenplay is the most magnificent one that I've ever read but I couldn't find that same emotion on screen... A clearer and more conventional narrative would have helped the film without, in my opinion, lessening its beauty and its impact."
Malick disliked the look of computer-generated imagery. So, after nearly 30 years away from Hollywood, famed special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey) contributed to the visual effects work on the film. Trumbull asked Malick, "Why not do it the old way? The way we did it in 2001?" Working with visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, Trumbull used a variety of materials for the creation of the universe sequence. "We worked with chemicals, paint, fluorescent dyes, smoke, liquids, CO2, flares, spin dishes, fluid dynamics, lighting and high speed photography to see how effective they might be."
Originally scheduled for 2009, the film was delayed until 2011 due to Malick still working on post-production. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it garnered a polarizing response; it was met with both boos and applause. In a surprising move, it won the Palme d'Or. At the box office, the film earned $61 million worldwide, almost doubling its budget. Even with the polarizing response, it was still received with thunderous acclaim, with some proclaiming it as Malick's magnum opus as well as one of the greatest films of the century. Malick once again received an Oscar nomination for Best Director, while the film was also nominated for Best Picture.

• Budget: $32,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $13,305,665. ($18.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $61,721,826.
  

To the Wonder (2013)

His sixth film. It stars Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. The film chronicles a couple who, after falling in love in Paris, struggle to keep their relationship from falling apart after moving to the United States.
Malick and his crew adopted an experimental approach. Actors described working without a screenplay or the use of lights. Likewise, cinematographer on the film, Emmanuel Lubezki, was given instructions to be “in the eye of the hurricane” — in the middle of a scene, constantly interacting with the characters. Lubezki called the film "abstract", and described it as being less tied to theatrical conventions and more purely cinematic than any prior film directed by Malick. Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz, Amanda Peet, Barry Pepper and Michael Sheen were originally part of the film, but no footage of their performances was kept for the final cut.
The film only received a limited release, earning less than $3 million. It also received mixed reviews, as many found its narrative emotionally unsatisfying. Interestingly, this was the last film reviewed by Roger Ebert. He gave it a 3.5/4 and wrote:

"A more conventional film would have assigned a plot to these characters and made their motivations more clear. Malick, who is surely one of the most romantic and spiritual of filmmakers, appears almost naked here before his audience, a man not able to conceal the depth of his vision."

• Budget: $0.
  
• Domestic gross: $587,615. ($782,771 adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $2,801,166.
  

Knight of Cups (2016)

"A quest."
His seventh film. The film stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Brian Dennehy, Antonio Banderas, Wes Bentley, Isabel Lucas, Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Freida Pinto, Cherry Jones, Nick Offerman, Clifton Collins Jr., Dane DeHaan, Thomas Lennon, Joel Kinnaman, Jason Clarke, Shea Whigham, Ryan O'Neal, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Corrigan, Fabio, Joe Lo Truglio, Beau Garrett and Nick Kroll. The film follows screenwriter Rick on an odyssey through Los Angeles and Las Vegas as he undertakes a series of adventures with colorful figures, identified by seven tarot cards from the Major Arcana, with Rick as the Knight of Cups.
Although a script was written, Bale received no pages from it, while all other cast members received only pages of internal and verbal monologue for each shooting day. Bale later said that while filming, he was unclear about what the final film would actually be. During production, Malick used a process he calls "torpedoing", where a character is thrown into a scene without the other actors' advance knowledge, forcing them to improvise. In addition to a traditional studio, the cast also recorded their voice-over work in nontraditional places, such as in a van or by the side of the road.
The film received mixed reviews, particularly for its story. The film was another bomb for Malick, barely making it past $1 million.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $566,006. ($731,838 adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $1,026,288.
  

Voyage of Time (2016)

"Life's journey."
His eighth film. A documentary narrated by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the film is an examination of the birth and death of the known universe.
Malick worked on the film since the 1970s, and some ideas from Q are part of the film. It was released in two versions: a forty-minute IMAX version with narration by Brad Pitt, and a 35-millimetre feature-length edition narrated by Cate Blanchett.
Even with the backing of IMAX, the film didn't even make $400,000 at the box office. The IMAX version was met with positive reviews, but the feature-length edition received a more mixed response.

• Budget: $12,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $55,409. ($71,643 adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $337,038.
  

Song to Song (2017)

"Love. Obsession. Betrayal."
His ninth film. It stars Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, and Cate Blanchett. Set in Austin, Texas, two entangled couples — struggling songwriters Faye and BV, and music mogul Cook and the waitress whom he ensnares — chase success through a rock ’n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal.
It fared similar reviews to his past films; great performances caught in an unsatisfying narrative. Once again, another box office dud.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $443,684. ($561,711 adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $1,813,453.
  

A Hidden Life (2019)

"Based on true events."
His 10th film. It stars August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Nyqvist and Bruno Ganz. The film depicts the life of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer and devout Catholic who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II.
Malick said the film would have a more structured narrative than his previous works, "Lately — I keep insisting, only very lately — have I been working without a script and I've lately repented the idea. The last picture we shot, and we're now cutting, went back to a script that was very well ordered." This makes it his first linear, plot-driven film since The New World. It was filmed in 2016, but it spent three years on post-production.
Surprise surprise, it was another box office bomb for Malick. But it received his best reviews in almost a decade, and was deemed a return to form for Malick after a slate of weak films.

• Budget: $7,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $1,730,597. ($2.1 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $4,622,354.
  

Other Projects

As mentioned, he started as an uncredited writer in the industry. One of those films was Dirty Harry, in which Malick wrote an early draft.
He was originally slated to direct a Che Guevara biopic, but abandoned the film when financing fell through. Steven Soderbergh would later direct from this script, and Malick is credited as a writer on the film.

The Future

Malick's next film is The Way of the Wind, which chronicles many chapters in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It stars Géza Röhrig, Matthias Schoenaerts, Mark Rylance, Tawfeek Barhom, Aidan Turner, Ben Kingsley, Joseph Fiennes, and Douglas Booth. Filming occurred in 2019, but five years later, there are no updates on the film.

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	The Thin Red Line	1998	20th Century Fox	$36,400,491	$61,726,074	$98,126,565	$52M
2	The Tree of Life	2011	Searchlight	$13,305,665	$48,416,161	$61,721,826	$32M
3	The New World	2005	New Line Cinema	$12,712,093	$36,622,682	$49,334,775	$30M
4	A Hidden Life	2019	Searchlight	$1,730,597	$2,891,757	$4,622,354	$7M
5	Days of Heaven	1978	Paramount	$3,446,749	$38,515	$3,485,264	$3M
6	To the Wonder	2013	Magnolia	$587,615	$2,213,551	$2,801,166	N/A
7	Song to Song	2017	Broad Green	$443,684	$1,369,769	$1,813,453	N/A
8	Knight of Cups	2016	Broad Green	$566,006	$460,282	$1,026,288	N/A
9	Voyage of Time	2016	Broad Green / IMAX	$55,409	$281,629	$337,038	$12M
10	Badlands	1973	Warner Bros.	$0	$54,396	$54,396	$300K

Across those 10 films, he has made $223,323,125 worldwide. That's $22,332,312 per film.

The Verdict

Unreliable. Not even close.
Malick has been unable to make a single profitable film in his career. Of course, the one exception might be Badlands, but we have no box office data from 1973 to corroborate. And that shouldn't be a surprise. His films are way too experimental, and have often been criticized for the lack of plot and character development. That's not for everyone. And some actors have expressed frustration with his post-production, especially because their roles are entirely cut from his films.
At the same time, however, there's a lot to admire about Malick. His films often read like meditative poetry, trying to convey emotion through cinematography and philosophy instead of dialogue or plot. The Thin Red Line has received a huge amount of praise in subsequent years, to the point that some might consider it superior to that year's other war film, Saving Private Ryan (like your OP here). And The Tree of Life has been one of the century's most acclaimed and analyzed films, so clearly Malick knows his magic (I'd put it in the top 5 of the century, but that's just me). Studios know they won't make any money with Malick, but they still want to see his works. And that's fine.
As a fun fact, one of Malick's favorite films is none other than... Zoolander. After hearing that Malick was a fan, Ben Stiller made an in-character happy-birthday video for the director. He not only loves the film, but he often quotes it on set. Now you gotta picture a crew member explaining something to Malick, and then Malick replying with "but why male models?"
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Guillermo del Toro. I'll have to post at least some of his projects that never materialized.
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... Danny Boyle. One of the most iconic British directors.
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
April 8-14	Guillermo del Toro	So... no At the Mountains of Madness?
April 15-21	Todd Phillips	Who's laughing now?
April 22-28	John Carpenter	Is that really it? No more films?
April 29-May 5	Danny Boyle	It was a long wait, but 28 Years Later is finally happening.

Who should be next after Boyle? That's up to you.
And to finally answer your question, there's finally a date on Christopher Nolan's post. It was a long wait, but I wanted to know how it will do on Japan before calling it. The post will be on... July 20. Some might think this is too long to wait, but I think it's a fitting date. It is what it is.

Emilia Jones as Elisabeth
Angela Bassett as Grace Holloway
Rachel Weisz as Lady Comstock
Cameron Monaghan as Robert Lutece : He might be to young but I think he could make a great job
Benedict Cumberbatch as Jeremiah Fink : Ok I know it's not the cast everyone want (hello Daniel Day-Lewis) but I wanted to try another cast, so why not him ? He would make a great job
Kurt Russell as Zachary Comstock
Wyatt Russell as Booker DeWitt : I know ! It's not great, I think Nikolaj Coster-Waldau should play him...but he is Kurt's son and if you watched Monarch Wyatt play a younger version of Kurt soooo why not ? It's could be interesting even if I don't really like it
Ciara Bravo as Eleanor Lamb
Tahar Rahim as Gilbert Alexander

https://preview.redd.it/ovfe80uc52fc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=b989d90727b3a0e8718f426f1a5335ede0a28a23
Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Sam Raimi's turn.
When he was a kid, he became a comic book fan when his brother introduced him to Spider-Man. Raimi became fascinated with making films when his father brought a movie camera home one day. He began to make Super 8 movies with his friend Bruce Campbell, whom he met in 1975. He made some short films and a feature length film during college, and then leave after three semesters to completely focus on a new film he was making.
From a box office perspective, how reliable is he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

It's Murder! (1977)

His directorial debut. It stars Raimi, Scott Spiegel, Bruce Campbell and his brother Ted Raimi, and follows the story of a family whose uncle is murdered. The son gets everything because he is in the will. A detective is trying to find out who murdered the uncle while avoiding ending up dead as well.
There are no box office data nor enough reviews to draw a conclusion here. It was an amateur film done cheaply by friends and colleagues. The real test was his following film.

The Evil Dead (1981)

"The ultimate experience in grueling terror."
His second film. The film stars Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly. The story focuses on five college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a remote wooded area. After they find an audio tape that, when played, releases a legion of demons and spirits, four members of the group suffer from demonic possession, forcing the fifth member, Ash Williams, to survive an onslaught of increasingly gory mayhem.
Raimi and Campbell were friends since they were young, and they often made Super 8 films together. Raimi wanted to create feature length films, so he decided to shoot a proof of concept short film – described by the director as a "prototype" – that would attract the interest of financiers, and use the funds raised to shoot a full-length project. The short film that Raimi created was called Within the Woods, which was produced for $1,600. For The Evil Dead, Raimi required over $100,000.
Afterwards, Raimi and Campbell borrowed money from their families and friends, eventually obtaining enough money to make a film. They wanted to make a horror film inspired by Raimi's fascination with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, called Book of the Dead. Campbell was the lead, as he would be allowed to be the producer because was on set every day. The crew consisted almost entirely of Raimi and Campbell's friends and family. The living conditions were notoriously difficult, with several arguments breaking out between crew members.
It wasn't a calm and relaxed production. While shooting a scene with Campbell running down a hill, Campbell tripped and injured his leg. Raimi enjoyed poking Campbell's injury with a stick he found in the woods. Because of the copious amounts of blood in the film, the crew produced gallons of fake blood with Karo corn syrup. It took Campbell hours to remove the sticky substance from himself. Several actors had inadvertently been stabbed or thrown into objects during production. During the last few days on set, the conditions had become so extreme the crew began burning furniture to stay warm. Since at that point only exterior shots needed to be filmed, they burned nearly every piece of furniture left. Several actors went days without showering, and because of the freezing conditions, several caught colds and other illnesses. One of the people helping with the editing was a young Joel Coen, but we'll talk about him later on.
The film had no distributor, so Raimi and Campbell had the film screen in many theaters willing to pay for it. Eventually producer Ivan Shapiro was impressed and decided to get the film a distributor, although he asked the title to be changed. Raimi quickly came up with the title The Evil Dead. Through his connections, Shapiro got the film to screen at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. One of the attendees, Stephen King, gave a glowing review. And that review got studios interested in this film. New Line Cinema eventually bought it and wrote Raimi a check large enough to pay off all the investors, and decided to release the film in an unusual manner: simultaneously into both cinemas and onto VHS, with substantial domestic promotion. As Raimi shot it without fear of censorship, it was rated X.
Slowly making its way through theaters, it was a huge hit compared to its budget, earning $29 million worldwide through multiple re-releases. It was acclaimed by critics, and some said it was a classic in the making. And they proved to be correct, as it would spawn a successful franchise and launch the careers of Raimi and Campbell.

• Budget: $375,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $2,400,000.
  
• Worldwide gross: $29,400,000.
  

Crimewave (1985)

"Extermination is not just a business, it's a way of life."
His third film. It stars Reed Birney, Sheree J. Wilson, Paul L. Smith, Brion James, Louise Lasser and Bruce Campbell, and it follows bizarre situations involving a nebbish everyman entangled in a murderous plot while pursuing his love interest.
After the success of The Evil Dead, Raimi and Campbell were ready to tackle another project. Raimi was best friends with Joel and Ethan Coen, with the former helping edit The Evil Dead. They had just finished making their debut film, Blood Simple, and decided to collaborate with Raimi on something new. And from that, Crimewave was born.
Raimi budgeted the film at $2.5 million, an amount the studio greenlit. But the calculations had not taken union fees and regulations into account, making the proposed budgeting and scheduling unrealistic. In addition, the crew were talked into spending three times the allotted money for one shooting location. The shoot quickly went both over budget and over schedule. At that point, the studio stepped in, with executives demanding cuts in the script, budget restrictions, layoffs, and their own supervision of the project. The studio also insisted on reviewing every batch of dailies, criticizing the decision to use cast and crew members as extras in several scenes. The studio also removed Raimi from post-production, not letting him edit his own film.
It didn't come anywhere close to The Evil Dead's success. The studio released in just a few cities to qualify for a HBO broadcasting, so it grossed an abysmal $5,101. It also received unfavorable reviews. Raimi himself looks at this as a "painful" experience, while the Coens also expressed disappointment with the final version.

• Budget: $2,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $5,101.
  
• Worldwide gross: $5,101.
  

Evil Dead II (1987)

"Dead by dawn."
His fourth film. The sequel to The Evil Dead, it stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, who vacations with his girlfriend to a remote cabin in the woods. He discovers an audio tape of recitations from a book of ancient texts, and when the recording is played, it unleashes a number of demons which possess and torment him.
Ivan Shapiro was talking about doing a sequel to the original while filming, which was never properly explored. After the financial failure of Crimwave, Raimi and Campbell accepted in making a sequel as they feared their careers would die. Upon learning that the film was struggling to find funding, Stephen King convinced Dino De Laurentiis in financing it, so De Laurentiis put $3.5 million, allowing them to start filming. Although Raimi had devised a premise set in the Middle Ages and involving time travel, De Laurentiis requested that the film be similar to its predecessor.
Knowing that the MPAA would give it an X rating (limiting its commercial prospects), the producers decided not to submit it to the MPAA for review or be credited onscreen for their involvement in it. It didn't play worldwide, but it earned $5.9 million domestically, although it failed to recoup its budget. Reviews were very favorable, and there have been arguments that it might be even better than the original.

• Budget: $3,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $5,923,044.
  
• Worldwide gross: $5,923,044.
  

Darkman (1990)

"They destroyed everything he had, everything he was. Now, crime has a new enemy and justice has a new face."
His fifth film. The film stars Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, and Larry Drake, and follows scientist Peyton Westlake, who is brutally attacked, disfigured, and left for dead by ruthless mobster Robert Durant, after his girlfriend, attorney Julie Hastings, runs afoul of corrupt developer Louis Strack Jr. After a treatment to cure him of his burn injuries fails, Westlake develops super-human abilities, which also have the unintended side-effect of rendering him mentally unstable and borderline psychotic. Consumed with vengeance, he decides to hunt down those who disfigured him.
Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, The Elephant Man, and The Shadow, Raimi decided to make a superhero film. His choices were Batman or The Shadow, but he decided to make a new character when his requests were denied. He delivered a 40-page treatment to Universal, based partly on the Classic Universal Monsters films, and he was given a $14 million budget based on his pitch. It received poor results from test screenings, which were the worst in Universal's history. Raimi was forced in making some changes to accomodate Universal's demands.
The film had a slow debut, but it closed with a pretty good $48 million worldwide, which was a very much needed success for Raimi. It also received positive reviews, particularly for its tone and style. In the years since, it has been recognized as one of Raimi's most iconic works, with some naming it among the best superhero films ever.

• Budget: $14,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $33,878,502.
  
• Worldwide gross: $48,878,502.
  

Army of Darkness (1992)

"Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas."
His sixth film. The third installment in the Evil Dead franchise, it stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, as he is trapped in the Middle Ages and battles the undead in his quest to return to the present.
As mentioned, the second film was supposed to take place in the Middle Ages, but the low budget forced them to change plans. After the success of Darkman, Universal was willing in financing half of the proposed $12 million budget, although they would still need more money. Raimi, Campbell and Robert Tapert had to put $1 million in order to get the film going. While Dino De Laurentiis gave Raimi and his crew freedom to shoot the film the way they wanted, Universal took over during post-production. Universal was not happy with Raimi's cut, specifically its ending in which Ash wakes up in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic wasteland, as they felt it was too negative. A more upbeat ending was shot a month later in a lumber store in Malibu, California.
At the box office, it almost doubled its budget, although it was reported to have been a huge success in home media. While initial reactions were mixed, its reputation has grown with time. While the franchise would continue, neither Raimi nor Campbell were heavily involved in the films beside a "producer" credit, with the exception of their involvement in Ash vs. Evil Dead.

• Budget: $11,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $11,502,976.
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,502,976.
  

The Quick and the Dead (1995)

"Think you are quick enough?"
His seventh film. It stars Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and focuses on "The Lady", a gunfighter who rides into the frontier town of Redemption, controlled by John Herod. The Lady joins a deadly dueling competition in an attempt to exact revenge for her father's death.
Simon Moore wrote a Western film that would pay homage to the spaghetti western genre, and decided to make the lead a woman. When Sony bought the script, Sharon Stone signed as the lead and producer. Because she could heavily influence the choice of director, she offered the position to Raimi, as she loved Army of Darkness and even threatened to quit the project if he chose to pass. Sony was hesitant with casting the then-unknowns Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, with Stone paying Leo's salary herself.
The film received mixed reviews, particularly for its tone and story. Even with Stone's box office power, it was a bomb, earning just $46 million against its $35 million budget. Raimi later blamed himself and his visual style for the film's failure: "I was very confused after I made that movie. For a number of years, I thought, ‘I'm like a dinosaur’. I couldn't change with the material."

• Budget: $35,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $18,636,537.
  
• Worldwide gross: $46,636,537.
  

A Simple Plan (1998)

"Sometimes good people do evil things."
His eighth film. Based on Scott B. Smith's novel, it stars Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda. Set in rural Minnesota, the story follows brothers Hank and Jacob Mitchell, who, along with Jacob's friend Lou, discover a crashed plane containing $4.4 million in cash. The three men and Hank's wife Sarah go to great lengths to keep the money a secret but begin to doubt each other's trust, resulting in lies, deceit and murder.
The film received some of the best reviews for Raimi's careers, and has been proclaimed as one of his best films. But despite that, it failed to pass its $17 million budget. That's three box office duds in a row.

• Budget: $17,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $16,316,273.
  
• Worldwide gross: $16,316,273.
  

For Love of the Game (1999)

"Billy Chapel must choose between the woman he loves and the game he lives for."
His ninth film. Based on Michael Shaara's 1991 novel, it stars Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston. It follows the perfect game performance of an aging star baseball pitcher, Billy Chapel as he deals with the pressures of pitching in Yankee Stadium in his final outing by calming himself with memories about a long-term relationship.
The project was originally planned to have Sydney Pollack as director and Tom Cruise as the lead. But Universal considered that Kevin Costner would draw bigger box office results, hoping it could serve as a spiritual follow-up to Field of Dreams. The studio wanted to keep the film's budget to $50 million, so Costner helped out by waiving his usual $20 million salary in exchange for a bigger percentage of the film's gross; Costner was also given the generous rights of final cut privilege (normally only given to the producer or director, if anyone) and director approval. Raimi accepted to direct it, while his previous films were known to be lower in scale, as he was a big fan of baseball and wanted to expand his scope.
The film received mixed reviews, criticized for its melodramatic script and predictable tropes. Even when it starred a big star like Costner, it was a box office bomb, failing to outgross its budget. Four bombs in a row for Raimi.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $35,188,640.
  
• Worldwide gross: $46,112,640.
  

The Gift (2000)

"The only witness to the crime was not even there."
His tenth film. It stars Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, Katie Holmes, and Greg Kinnear, and centers on Annie, who is involved in a murder case when she acquires knowledge of it through her extrasensory perception and psychic abilities.
The film received mixed reviews, although it was a much needed win at the box office for Raimi, earning $44 million on a $10 million budget. Nevertheless, he still needed to prove he had to be taken seriously at Hollywood. Could he find something?

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $12,008,642.
  
• Worldwide gross: $44,567,606.
  

Spider-Man (2002)

"With great power comes great responsibility."
His 11th film. Based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, it stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, and Rosemary Harris. The film chronicles Spider-Man's origin story and early superhero career. After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, shy teenager Peter Parker develops spider-like superhuman abilities and adopts a masked superhero identity to fight crime and injustice in New York City, facing the sinister Green Goblin in the process.
Marvel wanted to adapt their characters back in 1975, and it became a huge priority after the colossal success of Superman in 1978. While Roger Corman considered a Cold War film, development stalled after Superman III disappointed at the box office, and some thought that comic book films were not worth it. The Cannon Group later bought the rights, although they mistook the character as a werewolf-like character, and hired Tobe Hooper to direct an horror film based on it. Lee objected, and the version never made it past the development phase.
By 1985, Joseph Zito signed to direct, with John Cusack and Tom Cruise considered for the title character. In this version, Peter Parker receives his spider-like abilities from a cyclotron experiment. Doctor Octopus served as the antagonist and was written as Parker's mentor turned enemy. Bob Hoskins was considered for Doctor Octopus while Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn were considered for Aunt May. The role of Uncle Ben was considered for Gregory Peck and Paul Newman. Lee expressed his desire to play J. Jonah Jameson in the film. Following the critical and financial failure of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Masters of the Universe which were produced by Cannon, the budget for Spider-Man: The Movie was greatly reduced to $7 million. Joseph Zito was unwilling to compromise and stepped down as director. He was replaced by Albert Pyun who was willing to make the film at a lower budget. The project was cancelled following Cannon's acquisition by Pathé and Golan's departure from the studio.
The rights were subsequently acquired by Columbia, and it now had James Cameron attached. Cameron was originally interested in adapting X-Men, but Stan Lee convinced him that he was the right person to helm Spider-Man. Cameron was fascinated by comics, and his version served as a darker, more mature take on the character's mythos. In addition to featuring Spider-Man's origin story, it also included reimagined versions of the villains Electro and Sandman; the former was portrayed as a megalomaniacal businessman named Carlton Strand, while the latter was written as Strand's personal bodyguard named Boyd. Cameron's treatment also featured heavy profanity, and a sex scene between Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson atop the Brooklyn Bridge. But the project was once again stalled, now for a fight over the rights, and Cameron simply decided to abandon the project to focus on Titanic.
By the late 90s, the prospects for a film adaptation didn't look great. Batman & Robin was a critical and commercial flop, and that made studios think that comic book films were completely dead. But the success of Blade and the serious approach that Fox took with X-Men convinced studios that there was still hope. Marvel emerged from bankruptcy and sold the rights to Sony for $7 million in 1999. The studio lined up Roland Emmerich, Tony Scott, Chris Columbus, Barry Sonnenfeld, Tim Burton, Michael Bay, Ang Lee, David Fincher, Jan de Bont and M. Night Shyamalan as potential directors. However, most of the directors approached were less interested in the job than in the story itself. Fincher did not want to depict the origin story as he felt it was "dumb", pitching the film as being based on The Night Gwen Stacy Died storyline, but the studio weren't interested. Columbus would later pass on the project to direct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone instead. Burton expressed a lack of interest by remarking that he was "just a DC guy", given his past work in Batman and Batman Returns.
Amy Pascal's choice for director was Sam Raimi. Despite his tricky box office streak, his passion for the character earned him the job. Raimi's agent Josh Donen warned him that he was not Sony's preferred choice for the job, leading Raimi to cite all his reasons for which he would be the ideal director for the project during a meeting with Pascal, producer Laura Ziskin, Calley, Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad and film executive Matt Tolmach before abruptly ending his pitch after one hour, not wanting to overstay if Sony's executives did not want him.
For the lead character, Sony was interested and approached Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris O'Donnell, Jude Law, Chris Klein, Ewan McGregor, Wes Bentley, Heath Ledger, Scott Speedman, Jay Rodan and James Franco. In July 2000, Tobey Maguire was ultimately cast as the lead, having been Sam Raimi's primary choice for the role after he saw The Cider House Rules. The studio was initially hesitant to cast someone who did not seem to fit the ranks of "adrenaline-pumping, tail-kicking titans", but Maguire managed to impress studio executives with his audition.
After the September 11 attacks, certain sequences were re-filmed, and a shot of the Twin Towers was removed from the film which can be found on the Sony Stock Footage website. A poster and teaser trailer depicted the Towers, all of which were removed from circulation after the attacks. Hugh Jackman stated that he was approached to appear as Wolverine in the film in either a gag or just for a cameo appearance. However, when Jackman arrived to New York to shoot the scene, plans for his appearance never materialized because the filmmakers were unable to get the costume Jackman had used in X-Men.
Eagerly hyped, it didn't disappoint in the slightest. It had a $39.4 million opening day, which was the biggest daily gross in history... until the film broke that record the following day with $43.6 million. It debuted with a colossal $114 million opening weekend, passing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ($90 million) as the biggest debut ever and the first film to make over $100 million on its opening weekend. On its second weekend, it dropped just 38% and earned $71 million, which made it the biggest second weekend in history and it crossed the $200 million milestone in a record 9 days. Its $45 million third weekend broke a record as the biggest third weekend ever, and crossed $300 million in just 22 days. It eventually closed with an amazing $407 million domestically. Overseas, it was even bigger, breaking records across the world and finishing with $821 million worldwide, becoming one of the biggest films ever.
It received a great reception from critics and audiences, and was seen as a fresh and original take on the comic book genre, which has had its up-and-downs in the past years. While not the first comic book film to be a hit at the box office, the colossal success of the film helped propel the genre into a new direction. And Raimi was commended for what he created here.

• Budget: $139,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $403,706,375.
  
• Worldwide gross: $821,708,551.
  

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

"Sacrice. Destiny. Choice."
His 12th film. The sequel to Spider-Man, it stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, and Donna Murphy. Set two years after the events of the previous film, the film finds Peter Parker struggling to stop scientist Dr. Otto Octavius from recreating the dangerous experiment that killed his wife and left him neurologically fused to mechanical tentacles, while also dealing with an existential crisis between his dual identities that appears to be stripping him of his powers.
Even before the release of the original, Sony and Raimi were interested in a sequel. They hired Alfred Gough and Miles Millar to write a script, as Raimi and Maguire liked their work in Smallville. After the colossal opening weekend, Sony announced that the sequel would be released in 2004. Michael Chabon was also tasked with writing a script, which introduced Doctor Octopus, albeit in a different way.
Raimi sifted through the previous drafts by Gough, Millar, Koepp and Chabon, picking what he liked with screenwriter Alvin Sargent. He felt that thematically the film had to explore Peter's conflict with his personal wants against his responsibility, exploring the positive and negatives of his chosen path, and how he ultimately decides that he can be happy as a heroic figure. Raimi was also interested in adding Doctor Octopus, not just because the visuals could prove successful, but because he found it compelling by adding a tragic backstory.
After filming Seabiscuit in late 2002, a pre-existing back condition that Maguire suffered from was bothering him. Raimi heard that Maguire could be paralyzed if there was an injury in his back. Fearing that the franchise would be over before it even began, Jake Gyllenhaal was cast to replace Maguire. Maguire's girlfriend's father Ronald Meyer (head of Universal Studios) helped the actor regain the role, with a salary of $17 million. So for one brief moment, we had a very different Spider-Man.
The film was a colossal success at the box office, although it grossed less than the original. Domestically, it opened on Wednesday with $40.4 million on its first day, breaking the record for the biggest opening day set by its predecessor. Its opening weekend was $88 million ($180.1 million in its first six days). But it didn't hold as well as the original, closing with $373 million domestically. Worldwide, it grossed $788 million. The film received even stronger reviews than the original, and it has also been named among one of the best superhero films ever.

• Budget: $200,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $373,585,825.
  
• Worldwide gross: $788,976,453.
  

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

"The battle within."
His 13th film. The third and final installment in the Spider-Man trilogy, it stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, Rosemary Harris, and J. K. Simmons. The film follows Peter Parker as he prepares for his future with Mary Jane Watson, while facing Uncle Ben's true killer, Flint Marko, who becomes Sandman after a freak accident, and Harry Osborn, his former best friend, who is now aware of Peter's identity and seeks to avenge his father. Peter also faces his greatest challenge when he bonds with an extraterrestrial symbiote that increases his abilities but amplifies his anger and other negative traits.
Before Spider-Man 2 was released, Sony already announced a sequel was in development. When that film broke box office records during its opening weekend, Sony scheduled it for May 2007. Raimi wanted to emphasize Harry's new role (claiming he wouldn't follow his father's footsteps) and chose Sandman as the antagonist, as he wanted the film to explore forgiveness by linking him to Uncle Ben's death.
Raimi wanted another villain, and considered using the Vulture, which would be played by Ben Kingsley. But Avi Arad told Raimi that he needed to use more popular and iconic characters, and suggested using Venom instead. While Raimi was resistant in including him, he decided to accept Arad's request, as the character of Eddie Brock was already in the script, but not as a main character. The producers then decided to insert Gwen Stacy as a possible storyline for Peter and Mary Jane, but Alvin Sargent was worried that there were too many characters and storylines to include in one film.
The film broke opening records, which included a $59 million opening day and a $151 million opening weekend, both the highest by that point. Worldwide, it debuted with a record $381 million opening weekend. Domestically, however, the film didn't hold well at all, closing with $336 million, far below the previous films. But it was bigger worldwide, earning a huge $894 million, far above the others. But it drew mixed reactions from critics and audiences; the tone, script and over-abundance of characters were huge points of criticism. Raimi himself called the film "awful", and Arad took responsibility for the film's final version.
A fourth Spider-Man was planned to be released in May 2011, and Sony was also already considering a fifth and sixth film. Raimi wanted to expand on the character of Dr. Curt Connors, with Dylan Baker reprising his role now as the iconic Lizard. John Malkovich was also eyed for the Vulture, and Anne Hathaway was also approached to play Felicia Hardy, although the latter would not play Black Cat, but "The Vulturess". However, Raimi was not content with the scripts, as well as the pressure in maintaining his creative vision. In January 2010, Raimi left the film, and Sony decided to cancel the film and go with a reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man.

• Budget: $258,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $336,530,303.
  
• Worldwide gross: $894,983,373.
  

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

"Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But in three days, she's going to hell."
His 14th film. It stars Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, and Adriana Barraza. The story focuses on a loan officer, who, because she has to prove to her boss that she can make the "hard decisions" at work, chooses not to extend an elderly woman's mortgage. Unbeknownst to the loan-shark, the old woman secretly places a retaliatory curse on her that, after three days of escalating torment, will plunge her into the depths of Hell to burn for eternity.
The film was developed for 10 years, with Raimi coming up with a morality tale, desiring to write a story about a character who wants to be a good person, but makes a sinful choice out of greed for her own betterment and pays the price for it. Raimi constantly delayed the film due to the Spider-Man trilogy, and unsuccessfully tried to get Edgar Wright to direct the film instead. After finishing Spider-Man 3, Raimi returned to the script, wanting to make something smaller and simpler.
The film was a success at the box office, earning $90 million against its $30 million budget. It also received acclaim, and was praised as a return to form for Raimi. Raimi says he has considered a sequel for so many years.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $42,100,625.
  
• Worldwide gross: $90,842,646.
  

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

"In Oz, nothing is what it seems."
His 15th film. Serving as a spiritual prequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, it stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, William Bock, and Tony Cox. The film tells the story of Oscar Diggs, a deceptive magician who arrives in the Land of Oz and encounters three witches: Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda. Oscar is then enlisted to restore order in Oz while struggling to resolve conflicts with the witches and himself.
Disney has tried to make an Oz film since the 1930s. After the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Walt Disney himself decided that they would adapt The Wizard of Oz as an animated title. But Louis B. Mayer won the rights, ironically inspired by Snow White, and he in turn developed the iconic 1939 film. Disney eventually bought the rights to use in many films, but new films stalled after the disaster of Return to Oz. They didn't try again, until the property became part of public domain in the early 2000s.
By the mid 2000s, Mitchell Kapner started developing a film that explored the origins of Oz. Sam Raimi agreed to direct the film, although the desired stars (Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp) declined the lead role, before Franco was eventually cast. Raimi wanted to pay homage to the 1939 film, and it includes many nods, serving as an unofficial prequel. To that end, Disney had a copyright expert on set to ensure no infringement occurred.
The film received mediocre reviews, and the performances were criticized as some felt that they were phoning it in. At the box office, the film amassed almost $500 million worldwide, although Deadline reported that the film barely broke even. Considering the iconic status of the property, it feels like it should've done more.

• Budget: $215,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $234,911,825.
  
• Worldwide gross: $493,311,825.
  

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

"Enter a new dimension of strange."
His 16th film. The sequel to Doctor Strange and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. In the film, Stephen Strange must protect America Chavez, a teenager capable of traveling the multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff.
After the success of the original film, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill started developing a sequel, planning to feature Nightmare as the antagonist, as well as expanding the characters of Jonathan Pangborn and Hamir. In July 2019, the film was officially announced, and Derrickson said the film would feature an horror and gothic aspect, a first for the MCU. The film would also feature Scarlet Witch, and it would serve as a sequel to WandaVision. But in 2020, Derrickson dropped out due to creative differences.
Around a month after Derrickson left, Raimi was approached to direct the film. He was reluctant in making another Marvel film after the bad experience of Spider-Man 3, but he accepted the job because of the challenge of getting the film into production right away and because he was a fan of the Doctor Strange character and Derrickson's work on the first film. After his hiring, writer Michael Waldron decided to include aspects of Raimi's films in the script. The COVID delays allowed them in reworking the script, although it also meant that a cameo by Daniel Craig as Balder the Brave had to be scrapped as Craig refused to risk getting COVID for one day of filming.
The film was highly anticipated, as there were rumors of fan favorites returning, as well as the introduction of some new exciting characters. And the opening weekend was suggesting it; it opened with a huge $452 million worldwide, which was the ninth biggest ever. But the film proved to be quite front-loaded; it had poor drops through its run and finished with $955 million. That's easily Raimi's highest film, but that opening weekend suggested it would hit $1 billion, so to fall short of that mark indicates very bad word of mouth. And that's what it got; polarizing reviews at best. While Raimi was praised for his style, the writing came under scrutiny and Wanda's treatment was heavily questioned. The decision to also have the film serve as a direct sequel to WandaVision also proved to be a bad idea, as some felt that people would miss key context by not watching the series.

• Budget: $200,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $411,331,607.
  
• Worldwide gross: $955,775,804.
  

The Future

Raimi has a lot of unrealized projects. Some include a Bermuda Triangle film, a Kingkiller Chronicles adaptation, etc.

Other Projects

He's friends with the Coen brothers, and he even co-wrote The Hudsucker Proxy with them.
While a director, he actually has more credits as a producer. These include Timecop, The Grudge, 30 Days of Night, The Possession, the Poltergeist remake, Don't Breathe, Crawl, and 65.
In television, he was heavily involved with Ash vs Evil Dead, even co-writing and directing the pilot. He is also the developer of Xena: Princess Warrior, a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and no one would argue in that it overshadowed that show's popularity. And he is an executive producer of the Starz series, Spartacus.

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness	2022	Disney	$411,331,607	$544,444,197	$955,775,804	$200M
2	Spider-Man 3	2007	Sony	$336,530,303	$558,453,070	$894,983,373	$258M
3	Spider-Man	2002	Sony	$403,706,375	$418,002,176	$821,708,551	$139M
4	Spider-Man 2	2004	Sony	$373,585,825	$415,390,628	$788,976,453	$200M
5	Oz the Great and Powerful	2013	Disney	$234,911,825	$258,400,000	$493,311,825	$215M
6	Drag Me to Hell	2009	Universal	$42,100,625	$48,742,021	$90,842,646	$30M
7	Darkman	1990	Universal	$33,878,502	$15,000,000	$48,878,502	$14M
8	The Quick and the Dead	1995	Sony	$18,636,537	$28,000,000	$46,636,537	$35M
9	For Love of the Game	1999	Universal	$35,188,640	$10,924,000	$46,112,640	$50M
10	The Gift	2000	Paramount Classics	$12,008,642	$32,558,964	$44,567,606	$10M
11	The Evil Dead	1981	New Line Cinema	$2,400,000	$27,000,000	$29,400,000	$375K
12	Army of Darkness	1992	Universal	$11,502,976	$10,000,000	$21,502,976	$11M
13	A Simple Plan	1998	Paramount / Universal	$16,316,273	$0	$16,316,273	$17M
14	Evil Dead II	1987	Rosebud	$5,923,044	$0	$5,923,044	$3.5M
15	Crimewave	1985	Embassy	$5,101	$0	$5,101	$2.5M

He made 16 films, but only 15 have reported box office numbers. Across those 15 films, he made $4,304,941,331 worldwide. That's $286,996,088 per film.

The Verdict

Raimi has certainly become a staple in the horror and superhero circles. If you create something like Evil Dead and then reshape the landscape of comic book movies with Spider-Man, you know you made it big. The rest of his line-up, however, is quite a mixed bag. In retrospect, it's a surprise he was given the reigns to Spider-Man, considering most of his films were box office duds and he had no experience with a high budget. And he clearly prefers in serving as a producer; it took almost a decade for him to helm another film after Oz. Considering how well the genre is doing nowadays, it's surprising that he hasn't returned to make a horror film after Drag Me to Hell. I'm sure the horror community would be excited to see what Raimi could create. But Raimi obviously has nothing to prove.
Shoutout to raimimemes.
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Tim Burton. Just as we're getting closer to Beetlejuice 2 this September.
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... the Coen brothers. An iconic duo, definitely deserving of a post.
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
January 29-February 4	Tim Burton	The director of The Nightmare Before Christmas... not!
February 5-11	George Lucas	"Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute."
February 12-18	Joel Schumacher	What killed the dinosaurs?
February 19-25	Joel & Ethan Coen	You see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!

Who should go next after the Coens? That's up to you.