World War III is on the way, and we are not talking about the results of a Donald Trump presidency. Too real? Anyway, the point is that Hollywood has long maintained a fixation with the next major global conflict, a.k.a World War III. Now it looks like we will soon get another terrifying glimpse at how it might go down. For a look at such a terrifying event, that sort of film needs none other than the master of horror himself: Sam Raimi.
A new report from Coming Soon indicates that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct an adaptation of George Friedman's 2009 book, The Next 100 Years. The story of The Next 100 Years examines the geopolitical atmosphere of the 21st century and imagines a world where a new Cold War erupts. Tensions between American and Russia return to their former fury, while China’s status as a world power slowly fades. In the meantime, Mexico becomes a major player on the global stage and the world quickly evolves as new, modern technologies and cultures emerge.
This is far from the first time Hollywood has tackled the idea of World War III. Back in the 1980s, when the USSR began to fade from prominence towards the tail end of the Cold War, numerous American films were produced that have since become legendary for their combination of badass action and pro-American propaganda. From Red Dawn to Top Gun, that particular decade seems characterized by films where the world either found itself on the verge of – or completely immersed in – WWIII. Considering the increasingly unstable geopolitical environment, now seems like the perfect time for Hollywood to return to this sort of story.
Sam Raimi has kept himself busy over the last few years. In addition to producing the recent – and generally well-received – Evil Dead reboot, he has also found himself behind the camera for numerous projects. In the realm of television, he directed the pilot episode of Ash Vs Evil Dead, and on the silver screen he helmed recent Oz The Great and Powerful, starring James Franco.
Following his work on The Next 100 Years, Raimi has also expressed a sincere interest in potentially returning to the Spider-Man franchise to helm one of the newly rebooted films starring up-and-coming actor Tom Holland. Any self-respecting fan of the neighborhood Spider-Man would most certainly voice their approval for that sort of reunion.
We will bring you more information related to the upcoming production of The Next 100 Years as it becomes available to us. The film premise is as terrifying as it is exciting, and that’s exactly the sort of thing that Sam Raimi excels at.
