‘Evil Dead Rise’ director confirms the sequel is almost finished

While it doesn’t have a release date confirmed as of yet, horror fans at least know the Deadites are returning sooner rather than later, after Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin has confirmed he’s finished editing the much-anticipated sequel.

The Ghost Train director took to Twitter to share the good news ahead of the fifth installment in the Evil Dead franchise premiering on HBO Max sometime this year. “Picture lock on #EvilDeadRise,” Cronin wrote in the tweet’s caption — along with an image depicting the editing process thus far. “One step closer to unleashing this beast into the world. 6 months editing have gone into this timeline. Onto music composition and sound design we go…”

Evil Dead Rise emerged once plans for a direct sequel to the 2013 remake were scrapped, with the latest chapter in the series instead picking up decades after Sam Raimi’s original trilogy.

The story focuses on the reuniting of two sisters, who uncover hidden secrets about the Deadites and their overall disastrous capabilities. Additionally, it has been reported that the film will take place in the city rather than the typical cabin in the woods setting, as per the official synopsis.

In Evil Dead Rise, a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.

Seeing as the Evil Dead franchise is one of the most popular horror properties from the ‘80s, expectations are surely high for the upcoming project. To match these expectations, franchise creator Sam Raimi and franchise veteran Bruce Campbell will serve as producers. While no official release date for the upcoming installment has been announced, somewhere around Halloween is surely too good an opportunity to pass up.