The deadites are making a comeback, this time on HBO Max. The new chapter in the iconic horror franchise Evil Dead Rise is being produced by original director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell.
Not much is currently known about the production status of the film, however it is known that the three men most responsible behind the original trilogy will be back to serve as executive producers: Robert Tapert, who produced the original three, Sam Raimi, who directed, and Bruce Campbell, who helmed the iconic role of Ash Williams. Raimi, Campbell, and Tapert hand picked Lee Cronin (Hole in the Ground) to direct the upcoming installment. “I’m […] excited to be working with Lee Cronin, whose gifts as storyteller make him the ideal filmmaker to continue the enduring legacy of the franchise,” said Raimi.
“The Evil Dead movies filled my brain with terror and awe when I first saw them at nine years old. I am excited and humbled to be resurrecting the most iconic of evil forces for both the fans and a whole new generation,” said Cronin.
Campell will not be returning as Ash, as he retired the character’s on screen appearances following the finale of the series Ash vs Evil Dead. Instead, actors Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sulivan will star as two new characters who are estranged sisters that are forced to deal with the wrath of the deadites. “At its core, Evil Dead is about ordinary people overcoming extraordinarily terrifying situations,” said Campbell, “I can’t wait for Alyssa and Lily to fill the blood-soaked shoes of those who have come before them and carry on that tradition.”
Evil Dead Rise will change the setting from the classic deadite possessed woods into the city, where there should be many more opportunities for demonic destruction.
The Evil Dead series has gone through many changes since the first film in 1981. Evil Dead 2 made the intense horror tone more comedic, the film is also both a sequel and a reboot. The third film Army of Darkness changes the tone even more, having Ash fight the dead in medieval times, the film is much more of an action comedy. The remake of the original film in 2013 brought back the intense horror elements, while the Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead meshed horror and comedy in the most effective way thus far.
There is no known release date for the film, but Campbell has stated that filming will begin in 2021 in New Zealand, so a 2022 release date seems likely.
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