We’re now three years from the unjust cancellation of the awesome Ash vs. Evil Dead but, much like the cackling Deadites, The Evil Dead franchise has proved extremely resilient. After several delays, Evil Dead Rise is now shooting in New Zealand, with Lee Cronin directing and Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell producing.
The synopsis reveals that this will be a departure for the films, taking the action “away from the cabin in the woods and into the city”, with the story centered on estranged sisters whose reunion is ruined by the arrival of flesh-possessing demons. The cast includes Gabrielle Echols (Reminiscence), Morgan Davies (The End), Nell Fisher (Splendid Isolation), Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings), and Lily Sullivan (Picnic at Hanging Rock).
Sadly Bruce Campbell has now hung up his chainsaw and Ash Williams won’t be appearing in the new movie. But he’s still “very involved” with it. Campbell recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly and opened up on the movie:
“People can actually call it what [they] want: Sequel, remake, reimagining. It really is just another Evil Dead movie. It’s book-centric. It’s all about [the Necronomicon]. Where does this book wind up and what happens to it over the millennia?
In this case, it’s set in the city, it’s no more cabin in the woods. It’s entirely different, unsuspecting heroines who are going to save the day. It’s filming now in New Zealand, with some of their amazing crews down there and they’re well into it. Rob Tapert is the hands-on producer and we’re all very involved in the script. We all jump in at various times to chime in.”
Evil Dead Rise won’t be the franchise’s first venture from that iconic spooky cabin. Army of Darkness tossed Ash back in time to the medieval era, while Ash vs. Evil Dead took place all over the country (though returned to the cabin at various points). But what was common to all those stories was the Necronomicon: there’s always a sucker dumb enough to read aloud from the book of the dead.
Still, the new story should expand the scope of the Deadite menace and will represent a fresh start for one of the greatest horror series’ of all time. I’m sure Evil Dead Rise will provide the rollercoaster of terror and the fountains of blood we crave.
Evil Dead Rise will premiere on HBO Max in 2022.