Scott Spiegel, the writer behind cult horror favorite Evil Dead II and Clint Eastwood’s action-thriller The Rookie, has died. He passed away on September 1 at the age of 67. A Michigan native with a lifelong love of cinema, Spiegel grew up making films with a circle of friends who would go on to shape Hollywood — Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, John Cameron, and Josh Becker among them. Together, they tinkered with Super 8 cameras in middle and high school, building a creative foundation that carried Spiegel to Los Angeles, where he famously lived with Raimi, Joel and Ethan Coen, Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, and Kathy B ates
Spiegel made his most significant mark in 1987 with Raimi’s Evil Dead II, which he co-wrote and which helped cement Raimi and Campbell’s reputations in the horror world. He followed it up by writing Eastwood’s The Rookie (1990) alongside Boaz Yakin. A few years later, he directed his own splatter-slasher, Intruder (1989), which has since developed a cult following of its own. His later career was marked by work with Eli Roth, serving as executive producer on the Hostel franchise, directing Hostel: Part III, and co-founding the Raw Nerve production banner. Spiegel also directed My Name Is Modesty in 2004. Alongside writing and producing, Spiegel loved appearing in front of the camera. He popped up in Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Drag Me to Hell (2009), and even lent his voice to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
Remembered by His Collaborators
Raimi remembered his longtime friend with warmth and humor, recalling their teenage days.
“The moment the teacher was out of the room, Scott would stand up and precisely imitate their voice and mannerisms, cracking up the class,” Raimi said. “More than anything, he wanted to make people laugh. And he was so good at doing it… I remember that every Saturday, before shooting a Super 8 together, he first had to finish his work at Walnut Lake market, stocking shelves to pay his family’s bills.”
Roth also shared a moving tribute, highlighting both Spiegel’s creative influence and his offbeat sense of fun.
“Scottie was one of the funniest, warmest, most generous people I ever had the good fortune to call a friend,” Roth said. “So many directors talk about the ‘Scotty Spiegel shot’ or a ‘Scotty edit’ when you cut to a gag… Some of the most fun times of my life were spent at Scotty’s apartment, which was also a museum of ancient candy and defunct cereal. I will miss him dearly and think of him every time I film a crazy P.O.V.”
Scott Spiegel is survived by his two brothers and his niece. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
