Sam Raimi: "I wish the adaptation of a literary classic would arouse the same interest as that of a superhero comic"

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From Infernal Possession to

, four decades have passed, almost a dozen Spiderman movies and even an entire pandemic.

That without counting the wars, the natural disasters and the new modalities of social networks.

And yet,

, the director of the two films mentioned at the beginning, has always been there, immutable and perfectly equal to himself.

Visionary and reinventor of the horror genre, the person in charge of the first Spider-Man trilogy returns to directing and returns to superheroes convinced that now he is.

Now, yes.

We will see.

The last time he faced a major superhero movie was in 2007 with Spider-Man 3. Since then there have now been five more Spider-Man movies and 50,000 superhero movies.

How does one get up to date? No matter how much technology changes and sagas, sequels or prequels multiply, direction consists of communication between a director and an actor about what a character is and wants.

And although cameras have come a long way in recent years, the basic principle is always the same.

You have a story and you have to tell it.

There is a beginning, a middle, and an end.

And there is a character with whom the public has to identify and with whom they have to be moved.

That's basically it.

It doesn't matter what you say;

It doesn't matter if it's superheroes or ordinary people.

The basic concepts remain the same since the invention of cinema.

And there they will continue. Are you envious of the new Spiderman?

Is the new Spiderman better or worse than yours? The only thing I can say is that when I saw

I felt great.

The only identifiable feeling, above envy, was nostalgia.

It was like a trip back in time.

The excitement of seeing old friends I worked with 15 years ago is indescribable.

And, of course, I can only be grateful for the respect with which Jon Watts has treated my characters. I don't know if, besides, and seen from a distance, he feels some kind of remorse.

The last installment of his trilogy was not very well received by fans, I think I remember.

Do you regret something?

Would you do something different right now? Of course.

You could say I only have regrets.

I watch the movies and I can't help but blame every detail.

I should have done this, I think.

“Why didn't I do this other thing?” I keep telling myself.

But on the other hand, it was amazing.

Spiderman has been one of my great passions.

I received in my hands a legacy of decades that had been written, rewritten, drawn and re-imagined by many creators.

Let's say that I feel like one more link in that chain.

It was a beautiful treasure that was placed in my hands for a time and I took care of it as a work of art is cared for in a museum.

He knew the time would come when he would have to hand over the baton to someone else.

And I did it.

Regardless of my regrets, the time I spent with Spiderman was great. What has led you to return to directing a movie and, more specifically, a superhero movie? I have never felt out of the business.

Simply, I have dedicated myself to other facets such as production.

I've always loved directing, but there comes a time when you feel like you need a break.

The truth is that I already missed him.

I wanted to raise my children and spend time in the garden and, above all, reflect on how to become a better director.

I was not satisfied with my last film.

I needed to feel like a student again.

I needed new challenges, new motivations... During the last decade I have spent most of my time producing young filmmakers.

Suddenly, you realize that you only really learn from your mistakes.

When you acquire a certain maturity and surround yourself with a team that is there so that you do not make a single mistake, then you realize everything that you are missing.

I needed to feel like a student again.

I needed new challenges, new motivations... During the last decade I have spent most of my time producing young filmmakers.

Suddenly, you realize that you only really learn from your mistakes.

When you acquire a certain maturity and surround yourself with a team that is there so that you do not make a single mistake, then you realize everything that you are missing.

I needed to feel like a student again.

I needed new challenges, new motivations... During the last decade I have spent most of my time producing young filmmakers.

Suddenly, you realize that you only really learn from your mistakes.

When you acquire a certain maturity and surround yourself with a team that is there so that you do not make a single mistake, then you realize everything that you are missing.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange.Photo courtesy of Marvel StudiosWORLD

Will we see many of those mistakes in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (distributor Disney has not shown the film before the interview round)? Let's just say that when Marvel called me and said they were looking for a director, I did not hesitate ... I offered myself.

I thought: "I'm ready." It seems that the psychological profile of Spiderman is the opposite of Dr. Strange ... And that is part of the attraction of taking charge of him.

The best Marvel characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko have great powers but always have flaws as human beings at the core.

Spiderman is a teenager who is not quite sure who he is, what he is the right thing to do and has doubts about the extent of his responsibility in each of his actions.

Strange, on the other hand, is completely sure of what he is doing and believes that reason is always on his side.

His sin is that of arrogance.

His ego is wildly inflated.

If Spiderman grows toward certainty and maturity, Strange grows toward humility.

Let's say that they are opposite and identical at the same time. And which do you think is the superhero that has to save us from this polarized and hate-infected world: the one who knows everything or the one who doubts everything? a somewhat more introspective superhero with the ability to question himself.

The problem now with most of the villains that populate the real world is that they have a disproportionate ego and never think about the damage they cause to others.

They seem to be very clear about who they are and what is right, but without ever taking into account the people they live with, who are all of us.

More introspection, that would be the superpower that is needed today.

One of the elements that distinguishes his cinema is the sense of humor.

I don't know if this isn't another of the superpowers that could come in handy for all of us, including the increasingly pompous superhero movies themselves? For this movie, the adventure component has been more important than the comedy or any other gender.

But it is true that if there is something that humanizes and makes you understand a character, it is to laugh with him.

Comedy, as I understand it, more than a genre, is a narrative tool in the hands of the creator.

If you understand what makes the protagonist funny you are with, you identify with him.

This is the basics. If you look at the pre-sales figures for your film, they are frightening.

For disproportionate.

Box office forecasts are close to the record.

I don't know if it's good or bad news for the cinema that the only movies that are generating expectations right now are those about superheroes... I understand that it's the readers of comics who rush to see on the screen the stories they've previously seen. read.

I wish there were better training in schools and the great literature of the world was taught in them with more care.

That would mean that, in addition to comics, universal classics would be adapted to the cinema.

I wish the adaptation of a literary masterpiece would arouse the same interest as that of a superhero comic.

Yes, I think we are missing something. Do you feel the pressure of being the director of the most anticipated film of the year? Not before.

Now that you tell me, yes. What do you think of simultaneous releases (or almost) in the cinema and on platforms? The most important thing about cinema is the collective experience.

Anyone who makes horror films, as I have done for so long, knows that fear is only enjoyed if it is shared with others in a dark room.

You feel vulnerable and, at the same time, protected.

Hence the pleasure of being scared.

The very meaning of art is community, creating community.

It's a wonderful moment when everyone in the movie theater realizes at once that they can be better because of what they learn from the hero.

That is inalienable. And what is your opinion of what has happened to Netflix and its loss of subscribers?

Do you think we are experiencing a change in trend? The truth is that I do not know enough about the matter to comment on this matter at all. You led a revolution with your comrades from the new terror, how do you imagine the next revolution to come? The next revolution is right now brewing in Spain,

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