At Comic-Con, viewers were treated to the first full trailer for this fall’s Ash vs Evil Dead, along with an official premiere date: October 31. And from the looks of the footage shown from the Starz series, Halloween cannot get here fast enough.
Irreverent, gory, scary and packed with delectable Bruce Campbell moments, the trailer is an absolutely crazy look at immediately what’s sure to be one of the most fun horror series of the year (sorry Hannibal). Finding Deadite slayer Ash (Campbell) old and filling out, only to don the chainsaw once again when a Deadite plague threatens humanity, Ash vs Evil Dead looks like a terrific tip of the hat to the franchise and an exciting new entry at the same time.
What’s really incredible about the trailer is how at home the new series immediately feels next to the original films. The aesthetic and camera work is extremely reminiscent of the Sam Raimi-directed Evil Dead, and Campbell hasn’t lost a lick of his comic timing over the years. It should be great to see the actor reprise his most famous role, and it seems like he’s going to nail it.
Ash vs Evil Dead will include some newcomers taking on the Deadites alongside Ash. Lucy Lawless (Spartacus: Blood and Sand) plays a character named Ruby, while Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo and Jill Marie Jones round out the cast as other humans threatened by the evil dead.
The series will kick off its 10-episode first season on Starz this Halloween.
Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.