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The cult-classic comedy-horror franchise, Evil Dead, is returning from the depths with a new, gory story. Evil Dead Rise, first announced in October 2019, is scheduled to bloody the screens with a new tale from Sam Raimi's influential franchise. With Raimi returning to produce and Lee Cronin (A Hole In The Ground) selected to write and direct the newest installment, audiences of the original films hope to see the same hilarious and weird horror that they’ve come to expect from the franchise in this new installment. But what will the new film be about? Will the story still be following the rugged anti-hero, Ash Williams? We have all the answers to these questions and more below - if you dare read on.
When Will Evil Dead Rise Be Released?
Evil Dead Rise was initially set to be released on HBO Max back in 2022, but due to a new strategy implemented by the studio and positive test screenings, the film will instead be heading to theaters on April 21, 2023. Evil Dead Rise isn't the only movie coming this year that was initially supposed to premiere on HBO Max, as House Party, Magic Mike's Last Dance, and Blue Beetle were also supposed to premiere as HBO Max exclusives. This is also a similar path to what Paramount did with last year's horror hit Smile, which was initially supposed to be a Paramount+ original movie before positive test screenings made the studio opt for a theatrical release instead, a decision that definitely paid off.
The film will be having its world premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival on March 15, 2023.
When Did They Film Evil Dead Rise?
Filming of the reboot began in June 2021 and officially wrapped in New Zealand back in late October 2021. Lee Cronin announced the wrap via Twitter, stating that he was on his way home to “cut this thing together”.
Cronin has posted a sneak peek of the film by way of photos on his Twitter page. With the images ranging from his own bloodied sneakers to… well, puddles of blood and chunks of bloody faux flesh, you can get an idea of how this new piece of the demonic possession story is going to go. Fans of the original films will be pleased to know that the newest installment isn’t leaving it’s gruesome roots behind. The first film of the trilogy, The Evil Dead, as well as its 2013 remake, were so horrifically gory that they were actually banned in various countries including Finland, Ukraine, and Singapore. While it’s unfortunate to hear that some were unable to view the films, in a way it makes them even cooler. With Cronin revealing in a social media post that the crew used over 6,500 liters of fake blood while shooting Evil Dead Rise, we will have to wait and see if this new movie faces the same blacklisted fate.
Is There a Trailer for Evil Dead Rise?
A red-band trailer for Evil Dead Rise was released online on January 4, 2023. The two and half minute spot confirms that Cronin wasn't lying when he claimed that the film wouldn't hold back on the blood as the trailer is chock-full of it. With gore, bloody scalps, creepy music, haunted forests, and possessed victims galore, fans of the franchise will likely be pleased with this new installment.
Will Bruce Campbell Be in Evil Dead Rise?
In Army Of Darkness, the final film of the original trilogy, Bruce Campbell’s character Ash Williams is transported back in time to the Middle Ages where he must find and utilize the Necronomicon to return to his present time. After battling his way through Deadites, helping Duke Henry win the war and killing his own clone, Ash finds the Necronomicon and follows the instructions (as best as he can remember) and returns to his present time to tell the tale. In the final scenes of the film, customers of S-Mart are attacked by a time-traveling Deadite who Ash then kills with a rifle in the middle of the homeware store where he works. Ash then relays his now famous line, “Hail to the king, baby” before passionately kissing his coworker.
This is unfortunately the last we will see of Ash Williams in the films. Campbell has revealed that he will not be returning in front of the camera for the new movie, but rather behind it, as he is set to produce alongside Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, who has produced every Evil Dead film to date.
Without Ash, What Will the New Evil Dead Story Be About?
The official plot synopsis for Evil Dead Rise via Warner Bros reads:
Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, “Evil Dead Rise” tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
In Cronin’s Twitter posts, he refers sarcastically to the film as a “heartwarming and tender family drama” along with a photo of a blood-spattered countertop captioned “Damn kids never clean up the kitchen.” This hint, along with Cronin’s previous film having dealt with evil children, leads one to wonder who of the family in LA may end up being possessed in Evil Dead Rise.
A reboot with a new storyline is an opportunity to modernize the franchise and incorporate new, terrifying ideas. With Lee Cronin writing and directing the newest installment, we can expect him to bring some of the dark creepiness that we saw in his debut film, A Hole In The Ground. Written and directed by Cronin, the film was released in 2019 with positive reviews. The story follows a mother whose son returns from the woods behind their home acting very strange. The woman begins to believe that the boy is not actually her child, but instead, a Changeling, which is found in European folklore, said to be an entity left in place of a child stolen by fairies. The film is shot in an eerily grey rural area, with mesmerizing images and a strange creepiness in the parental terror tale. There is no comedy in the film, which leaves room to guess if the newer, and possibly more frightening Evil Dead film will have the same silly, comedic style as those in the original trilogy.
Who Will the New Cast Be?
Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings) will portray the mother living in LA, Ellie, and Lily Sullivan (Mental) will play her sister Beth. Additionally, Mia Challis (User Not Found) is listed to portray a character named Jessica, while Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher are listed for characters whose names are yet to be released.
How Long Will Evil Dead Rise Be?
Evil Dead Rise will be 96 minutes long, which makes it the longest Evil Dead movie to date. For comparison's sake The Evil Dead was 85 minutes, Evil Dead II was 84 minutes, Army of Darkness was 81 minutes, and Evil Dead (2013) was 91 minutes.
Where Can You Watch the Earlier Films?
The first four Evil Dead films are all available to purchase and rent on-demand, and some are even on certain streaming services. The spin-off television series Ash vs. Evil Dead is also available to stream on both Netflix and Starz.
Additionally, if you’re a fan of comics, Dark Horse Comics created an adaptation of the third film of the franchise, Army Of Darkness in 1992. The comics’ first three releases follow the film with the original ending intact, but as the series was taken over by Dynamite Entertainment and Space Goat Productions, the writers put Ash into some new, non-canon situations with crossovers from Freddy Krueger, Dracula, and more. While it may not be canon, the comics' storyline is wildly fun and will hopefully pacify the avidly awaiting audiences who just can’t get enough of this demonic bloodbath of a story.
Audiences cannot wait for The Evil Dead franchise to rise again, and to revel in the gallons of blood and slapstick comedy that made the films a cult classic and horror fan favorite. With 40 years since the release of The Evil Dead, the franchise's fan base has stayed strong and is likely to grow even larger with this new, and possibly darker installment. We’ll keep an ear to the ground for more news about the gruesome production - but we will be sure to keep away from those strange creepy arms sticking out of it.