Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Rachel McAdams is currently in talks to Raimi on 2022’s Doctor Strange sequel, reprising her previous Marvel Cinematic Universe role as Benedict Cumberbatch’s unrequited love interest, Dr. Christine Palmer.

Per Deadline, McAdams is currently in discussions to star in Raimi’s Send Help from 20th Century Studios. However, reports suggest that negotiations are still only in very early stages, and nothing has been finalized yet. Based on a script penned by Baywatch screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, Send Help is described as a two-handed horror-thriller set on an island. The film’s story has been compared to Rob Reiner’s 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery and the Tom Hanks-led Cast Away from director Robert Zemeckis. Boy Kills World producer Zainab Azizi is also set to produce under the Raimi Productions banner.

What Rachel McAdams' Potential Casting Means For Raimi’s Horror Return

Raimi Is Well Known For His Frequent Collaborators

Perhaps best known as the creator and architect of the Evil Dead franchise, Raimi’s unique horror sensibilities have gone on to inform his work in other genres, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Renowned for his energetic visuals and infusions of slapstick humor, his return to horror will likely come as good news for fans of both Raimi’s work and horror movies as a whole.

As such, the decision to bring McAdams in for his latest project could indicate that her time spent working on Doctor Strange 2 could just be the start of a much larger and fruitful creative partnership.

Moreover, this latest news of McAdam’s potential casting continues Raimi’s notorious trend of working with a select group of frequent collaborators. While Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell is perhaps the best-known of Raimi’s recurring creative partners, over the years the director has accumulated a much longer list of collaborators both in front of and behind the cameras.

In addition to other recognizable faces such as Spider-Man’s J.K. Simmons and James Franco, Raimi has also regularly sought the assistance of creatives like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness composer Danny Elfman, and his siblings Ted and Ivan Raimi. As such, the decision to bring McAdams in for his latest project could indicate that her time spent working on the Doctor Strange sequel could just be the start of a much larger and fruitful creative partnership.

Our Take McAdams' Send Help Role

Raimi's New Horror Will Be A Big Shift From Doctor Strange 2

Given the underlying premise of Send Help, and its comparison to Cast Away and Misery, it is likely that much of the movie will be reliant on McAdams' performance without the benefit of relying on the contributions of many other cast . Exactly who will be selected to star opposite her as the movie’s other lead remains to be seen, but McAdams has already proven herself a more than adept performer capable of holding an audience’s attention with what will likely become a largely solo performance. Moreover, this role will likely also be a sharp contrast to her ing role in the large ensemble cast of her previous Raimi movie.

Source: Deadline