In a combination of star and project that feels weirdly appropriate when you think about, Bruce Campbell is set to host the new Ripley’s Believe It or Not! show, which is due to air on the Travel Channel later this year.
The announcement came via the franchise’s own Twitter account, along with a trailer that teases some of the strange and extraordinary people and phenomena that the show will be exhibiting. Campbell himself responded to the tweet with a short confirmation of his involvement, simply writing, “I believe you.”
It’s official! @GroovyBruce will be the host of the all-new Ripley’s Believe It or Not! show coming to @travelchannel in 2019! pic.twitter.com/kXRIZQu9ng
— Ripley's Believe It or Not! (@Ripleys) January 1, 2019
Having announced his retirement from the Evil Dead franchise last year, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is certainly an unusual place for the actor to take his career next, but then again, Campbell has always been a little unconventional in his choice of projects, often opting for culty works like Bubba Ho-Tep and My Name Is Bruce.
Over the decades, the actor has found much success in cultivating an image for himself as a living meme to rival Nicolas Cage, and it must be said that he brings a unique, often weirdly fascinating presence to whatever role he takes on, whether he’s cameoing in a Coen Brothers movie or fighting Deadites. With that in mind, you can imagine there’ll be a fair few fans tuning into Ripley’s Believe It or Not! just for the host.
Meanwhile, the Evil Dead franchise is at a bit of a crossroads itself, between the departure of Bruce Campbell and the cancellation of Ash vs. Evil Dead. The star himself, however, seems cautiously optimistic about the property’s future, and has even given his blessing for a younger actor to take over as Ash. Granted, it’s been a while since we’ve heard any news on the matter, but surely we can hold out hope that the horror franchise’s future will be almost as groovy as its past.
