Why Sam Raimi Is Perfect For Doctor Strange 2
5. Oz The Great And Powerful Gives Him Disney Street Cred
Speaking of Disney, this wouldn't be Sam Raimi's first job for the mega studio. Way back in 2013 he directed OZ the Great and Powerful, an origin story for the Wizard of Oz. While it met with a mixed reception the film proves that the director can when needed work in the Disney mold while maintaining his own unique style.
The witches and the magic of the film are evocative of The Evil Dead while not pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable for family entertainment. While it may not reach the same level of deeply disturbing nightmare fuel as Return to Oz, it still mixes in plenty of horror elements.
One of the chief reasons that Kevin Feige and Scott Derrickson couldn't reach an agreement was because Feige wanted a toned down but scary film and Derrickson wanted to go full Nightmare on Elm Street with it. With Oz The Great and Powerful Raimi proved that he can tone things down without sacrificing his signature style. Even bound by a PG-13 rating it's fair to expect him to really make the movie something crazy.