Like a zombie, the Evil Dead franchise refuses to stay dead. Three years after the end of the STARZ series Ash Vs. Evil Dead and FORTY years after the release of the first film, the brand is returning in a new HBO Max film, Evil Dead Rise. This project has been rumored for quite some time, but it has now been officially confirmed by New Line Cinema.
Producer of every iteration of the franchise, Robert Tapert, series creator and director, Sam Raimi, and star Bruce Campbell are attached to executive produce Evil Dead Rise. However, Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) is writing and directing this version. It appears that Cronin was handpicked by Raimi.
Cronin expressed:
“The Evil Dead movies filled my brain with terror and awe when I first saw them at 9 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.”
The new movie is set to film in New Zealand in June and the action shifts from the rural settings of the previous installments to a city. Reportedly, a lot of the action will take place in a single skyscraper, giving the film’s title a double– or maybe triple– meaning: the dead rising, a highrise building, and the franchise rising again after a short break.
Via Variety:
Evil Dead Rise takes the undead action away from the cabin in the woods and into the city as two estranged sisters’ reunion is cut short when flesh-possessing demons thrust them into a battle for survival.
Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan are set to star as the two sisters. Sutherland is best known for starring in Spike’s The Mist and History’s Vikings. Sullivan has starred in Picnic at Hanging Rock and Jungle.
Raimi issued a statement, reading:
“I’m thrilled to bring Evil Dead back to its original home at New Line 40 years after the release of the first film. The company’s history as pioneers of horror speaks for itself. I’m equally excited to be working with Lee Cronin, whose gifts as a storyteller make him the ideal filmmaker to continue the enduring legacy of the franchise.”
In a separate statement, Campbell said:
“At its core, Evil Dead is about ordinary people overcoming extraordinarily terrifying situations … 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.”
Are you excited that the Evil Dead franchise is coming back? Check back for updates on this project as it progresses!
