With the verdict on the Evil Dead remake in and largely positive, especially from the all-important horror fan sect, it is only natural that we should begin talking more seriously about the future of the franchise. Sam Raimi said last week that there was a distinct possibility of a proper Evil Dead 4. Now Rob Tapert, Raimi’s longtime-producer, has tried to clarify things. Sort of. Tapert claims that Evil Dead 4 would actually be Army Of Darkness 2.
Ow. Ok. I’m a big Evil Dead fan, and I know that Army Of Darkness is kind of but not quite an Evil Dead film. Yes, it stars Bruce Campbell as Ash. Yes, there are dead guys. But it’s really about Ash journeying through time, flirting with some ladies and kicking some medieval ass, with a lot less gore than the first two Evil Dead films. So what Tapert seems to be saying is that Evil Dead 4 would follow more along the lines of Ash’s travels through time and less with, y’know, the evil dead.
This is all getting very confusing though. First Raimi says yes, it will happen; then he goes back on it and claims that he’s being forced into it by the fans. Now Tapert says that it will not be an Evil Dead film. But it will be, really, because Army Of Darkness is an Evil Dead film. Only it isn’t. Again, I say: Ow.
I would be all for another entry from Raimi. He has not been doing so hot working on big budget films for Disney, now has he? It would be great to see him return to some of the things he does best.
What does Bruce Campbell, the guy without whom Ash can never come back, have to say about all this? Well, he’d love to do it, but he’s not convinced that it will ever happen:
Sam threatens this every six months. I’ve heard this a thousand times, because in the back of his mind, he never wants to let go, because he loved making these movies. We all loved making them together. They were a nightmare to make, very difficult, but they lasted the test of time, so he’s not going to let that go, and I’m never going to say ‘no.’ It’ll be me and a walker fighting some other old guy. But that’s what he does and who knows? It may happen.
We might not want to hold our breaths on this one.
What do you think of a Raimi-directed and Campbell-starring Evil Dead 4 or Army Of Darkness 2? Does it really matter what we call it? Let us know in the comments.