The Evil Dead franchise isn’t dead yet, with a new upcoming film, Evil Dead Rise, courtesy of director Lee Cronin, in the works. Cronin’s credits include the horror pic The Hole in the Ground, as well as helming several episodes of 50 States of Fright. That’s a Quibi series led by a certain Sam Raimi, the man who started this whole beautiful tapestry of gore.
Evil Dead Rise probably won’t be released for a while, since production might not start until 2021, but thankfully, Cronin took some time to preview what fans have to look forward to, saying:
“For me, the key thing I kept reminding myself of, when you’re in the trenches and you’re developing something, was to make sure it’s a roller coaster. To make sure that it has twists and turns and that it’s visceral and engaging. To sum all that up, to come back to what I just said, I wanted to create a roller coaster of terror. That was really the key for me.”
That’s an important goal for such an insane horror series, and Lee Cronin makes it clear his specific love and affection for the Evil Dead saga.
“My memories of Evil Dead, when I watched them at a young age, always marveling at ‘how does this even exist?’ It just continues to poke at my brain and refresh every time I watch it. So to boil it down to an even simpler thing was that it’s experiential. It has to be a horror experience. And that’s the key and that’s what I’m trying to achieve with this.”
Still, there will definitely be changes in store. Two years ago, Starz broke fans’ hearts with the cancellation of the franchise’s spinoff TV series, the over-the-top and action-filled Ash Vs. Evil Dead. As the name suggests, that story kept the spotlight on Ash, Bruce Campbell’s now iconic character at the deranged heart of The Evil Dead.
That trip to the small screen seems to have been enough for the veteran actor, though, with Campbell quickly declaring himself retired from the character. This might change, however. After his initial denials, he’s since left the door open for a cameo, and he’s already returning to voice the hero for a video game. Even his Ash Vs. Evil Dead crew thinks Campbell loves the role too much to leave it for good. But, at least for now, someone else will still need to step up against the Deadites.
Also, the film might be set in a skyscraper, so that’s new, too. There’s still a lot of love for this franchise as well, with a documentary about its fandom recently premiering at the Fantasia Film Festival. Here’s hoping Evil Dead Rise can recapture the very, very gory magic.