The long-awaited fourth entry in the Evil Dead franchise (discounting the remake) is coming to us as Evil Dead Rise. Lee Cronin is behind the camera for this one, though it won’t arrive for a while considering that shooting is only expected to begin in 2021. And although Bruce Campbell has more or less ruled himself out of making an appearance, he’s recently been sharing details on the project, including the decision to go with a lead heroine.
From what we already know, Evil Dead Rise will take place in a skyscraper, representing a shift from the cabin in the woods-style action we’ve come to expect from the series. Cronin has suggested that the film won’t hold back on the horror, either, and Campbell has now elaborated on there being a female lead.
“Look, this is another Evil Dead movie and that book gets around, a lot of people run into it and it’s another story. The main key with Evil Dead is they’re just regular people who are battling what seems to be a very unstoppable evil, and so that’s where the horror comes from. It’s not someone who’s skilled. They’re not fighting a soldier. They’re not fighting a scientist. They’re not fighting anybody more than your average neighbor. This one is going to be a similar thing. We’re going to have a heroine, a woman in charge, and she’s going to try and save her family.”
Of course, the idea of a heroine taking charge in the Evil Dead universe isn’t new, with Jane Levy’s Mia surviving the events of Fede Álvarez’s 2013 remake. The much-loved Ash vs. Evil Dead show also introduced Dana DeLorenzo’s badass Kelly Maxwell, and Arielle Carver-O’Neill’s Brandy Barr, as well as finding a place for Lucy Lawless. In fact, at this point, we’re more intrigued about how the Deadites will work in an urban setting, and what that means for the story going forward.
For now, though, we’re happy with the direction that Evil Dead Rise is heading in and it’s nice to hear that the producers want to center the plot around a strong female character. Here’s hoping, then, that the movie can deliver all the gore and laughs that Evil Dead fans have come to expect, and that the production can begin next year without any COVID-19-related delays.