Jane Levy Says She's Unlikely to Return for More Evil Dead

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Jane Levy Is Done With 'Evil Dead' for Now, But That Doesn't Mean She's Done With Horror

By Perri Nemiroff

Published Jun 24, 2020

Levy's got great range, so why not explore it all?

Jane Levy has really had her work cut out for her in the horror genre. She headlined a double dose of Fede Alvarez films - two of my absolute favorite horror films of the decade - and boy did those characters go through a lot of extreme scenarios during their fights for survival. There was the blood rain, arm-ripping and then some in 2013’s Evil Dead and then Levy powered through a home invasion nightmare in the 2016 release, Don’t Breathe. As much as I lose myself in both movies, after watching them, I’ve always got to stop and think about how much a performance like that has got to take out of you.

But of course, Evil Dead is one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time and Levy is part of that legacy. Even though she’s already made a big contribution to the series, I just had to ask her if she’d be willing to give even more, especially now that we know that Evil Dead Now is in the works from writer-director Lee Cronin. During Levy’s upcoming episode of Collider Connected in honor of her NBC series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, I asked her if she’d return to the Evil Dead franchise and the role of Mia if Cronin offered her a part in the new film. Levy simply replied, “No.”

evil-dead-jane-levy-scream — Image via Sony Pictures

Clearly I’m a big fan of the 2013 Evil Dead movie and Levy’s work in it, so I would have been thrilled if she was down for more, but first off, who can blame her for not wanting to live in that kind of world and headspace for another extensive shoot? And two, just look at Levy’s resume! One of the things I’ve come to admire most about her is her range and her eagerness to keep exploring it. Here’s what she told me when asked to name something that she’s done for a show or film that she’d rather not do again:

“Screaming for my life is something that I’ve done enough of. Not saying I’ll get rid of horror all together because I just watched Doctor Sleep the other night; I Ioved it. I was like, horror films are so rich and they’re so fun to watch. I love them so much. So I’m not poo-pooing on all horror films; I’m just saying I’m not sure I want to spend a whole three months of my life running and screening for survival.”

So while another horror movie isn’t high on Levy’s priority list at the moment, we do still have Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead to watch over and over again. And on top of that, if you haven’t watched Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, it’s a phenomenal binge watch that you can jump into right now on Hulu. For anyone brushing it off as a silly NBC musical, trust me when I tell you it’s a joy to watch but also an emotional wallop that earns every tear you’ll shed.

Look for our full interview with Levy on Collider tomorrow.