Sam Raimi Says He’ll Direct Evil Dead 4, But Only If Bruce Campbell Returns

The Evil Dead series is very close to my heart. I had them on grainy VHS when I was a kid and the cocktail of horror, comedy and insane amounts of gore warped my mind into the state it’s in today. The franchise is anchored by the amazing central performance of Bruce Campbell, whose chainsaw-wielding Ash Williams is one of the most iconic heroes in the horror genre. But since the third movie, 1992’s Army of Darkness, there hasn’t been an Evil Dead 4. Much like the monsters that plague Ash, though, the property has proved difficult to kill off.

We’ve had comics, video games, a 2013 remake of the original and, most notably, three seasons of the excellent Ash vs. Evil Dead on Starz. The show was sadly cancelled in 2018 though due to low ratings, with Bruce Campbell subsequently announcing his retirement from the role of Ash on the grounds that he was getting too old for the physical demands of the part.

Now, though, director Sam Raimi has indicated that he would drop everything and return to Evil Dead in a heartbeat but only if Campbell would also return. In an AMA on Reddit, Raimi was asked: “Will we get a final Sam Raimi Evil Dead movie?” Here’s how he responded:

“Bruce, Rob and I are working with a young filmmaker who is writing a new Evil Dead story that he will direct. As for me…. I would love to direct a new Evil Dead movie… but I’d really like to do it with Bruce. And he says he’s retired the character. I hope not.”

I hope not, too. I rewatched a lot of Ash vs. Evil Dead over the holidays and it reminded me how much I love Campbell in the role. He brings a unique mixture of stupidity and sleaziness, while still making Ash someone we root for against the odds. Plus, there are few actors who can pull off a scene where they have to fight a shit-spraying demon asshole in a morgue and make it work. Here’s hoping that an Evil Dead 4 about Old Man Ash can get off the ground someday.