Bruce Campbell made his name with the Evil Dead franchise and has been quizzed about its return in every interview he’s done for the last twenty years. Fortunately, right now there’s some actual news for him to report.
Yes, as you may’ve heard, Evil Dead 4 is officially going ahead under the direction of Lee Cronin, though it won’t feature Bruce Campbell’s Ash. The project was officially announced two weeks ago when Campbell revealed that the title was Evil Dead Now. Things seem to have shifted a little even since then, though, as in a new interview with Diabolique Magazine, Campbell unveiled a new (and in my opinion much better) title, saying:
“The official name is Evil Dead Rise. We’re getting a new draft in. I don’t think anything will happen until 2021. Full bore ahead, we’re very excited about it. A whole, new ballgame. No more cabin in the woods.”
That last line should be of interest to fans, as the ‘Evil Dead Cabin’ has become a staple of the series. Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and the 2013 soft reboot all took place in the woodland cabin. The rural location has provided many of the series’ iconic elements, like killer trees, animated hunting trophies and, of course, the chainsaw.
Evil Dead has taken many trips away from this location, too, though. Army of Darkness tossed Ash back in time to the medieval era, while the much-missed Ash vs. Evil Dead took place all over the country (though returned to the cabin for various reasons).
Abandoning it for something new is a big indication that the upcoming movie is intended to be a fresh start for the franchise. But wherever they eventually decide to set it, I’m sure Evil Dead Rise will provide the rollercoaster of horror and the fountains of blood we’ve come to expect. Roll on 2021.
