The Big Picture

• Lee Cronin managed to sneak Bruce Campbell into Evil Dead Rise through a well-hidden cameo and sound effects recording.
• Campbell plays a priest in the movie and his voice can be heard on an old record being played.
• Campbell also helped record sound effects for a gruesome scene involving a character getting their eye chewed out.

Back in April, the Deadites invaded theaters again with Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin’s glorious take on one of the best horror franchises ever. Cronin’s sequel was exactly what fans wanted from an Evil Dead movie, bringing unsettling horror that’s elevated by some of the most creative practical effects in the industry. Not only that, but it included a brand new set of characters, brought brilliantly to life by a cast of talented actors. The lead performances by Lily Sullivan as hero Beth and Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie-turned-Deadite Mommy of Nightmares were particularly effective. While these new heroes and villains are brilliant additions to the franchise, some may be wondering where the hell is the guy who started this mess in the first place: Ash Williams. Since Bruce Campbell has hung up his chainsaw and boomstick, his iconic Evil Dead hero is not part of Evil Dead Rise. Even so, Cronin managed to sneak Campbell into Evil Dead Rise in the most unexpected ways. That’s because, while fans will keep their eyes peeled to see where Campbell will pop up, they should actually pay attention to what they hear.

Who Does Bruce Campbell Play in 'Evil Dead Rise'?

While discussing Evil Dead Rise before the movie’s release, writer and director Cronin told Empire that the sequel had a special Campbell cameo. Cronin was so confident that the cameo was well hidden that he even offered $50 to the first fan who found it. People who follow Collider surely had an advantage because Campbell himself had told us all about his cameo during an exclusive interview back in July 2022. At the time, Campbell said: “I do have one line of dialogue in the movie. I play a priest. You’ll hear me on an old record that is being played back over the speakers.”With this accurate hint (to say the least), any horror fiend going to theaters to watch Evil Dead Rise will immediately recognize Campbell’s voice once Danny (Morgan Davies) listens to some ancient records while trying to learn more about the Naturom Demonto, the Book of the Dead. The vinyl discs that Danny finds together with the Naturom Demonto record the experiments conducted by a priest trying to uncover the secrets of the book’s ancient inscriptions. At a given moment, the priest presents his controversial ideas to a group of peers who protest his dangerous studies. One of these opposing priests is Campbell, who now has a second canon role in the Evil Dead franchise.

Bruce Campbell Recorded Sound Effects for 'Evil Dead Rise'

That’s not the last time you’ll hear Campbell in Evil Dead Rise, although it’s almost impossible to find out by yourself where the shows up next. In an interview for Digital Spy, Cronin revealed Campbell also helped record some of the sound effects used in the movie. As the filmmaker explains: “There's another Bruce moment in the movie as well. He did some Foley work for me as well. There's a scene around an eye where there's some munching and Bruce created that sound by eating an apple furiously for me.”

Cronin refers to a scene that happens after Danny inadvertently releases the Kandarian demons, turning his mother, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), into the terrifying Mommy Deadite. As a Deadite, Ellie is motivated by the need to spread chaos and destruction. So, it doesn’t take long for her to murder all her neighbors in the most gnarly ways. One of her victims is Gabriel (Jayden Daniels), who has his left eye chewed out of his face by Ellie. It’s unnerving to see Ellie bite Gabriel’s face and hear the nasty sounds her mouth makes while chomping on his flesh. But now, the scene becomes even more interesting, as we’ll always imagine Campbell eating an apple.

Evil Dead Rise is available to stream in the U.S. on Amazon Prime Video.

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