Evil Dead Rise is set to debut exclusively on HBO Max in 2022. Before that happens, Sam Raimi sat down with Slash Film to talk a little about the upcoming movie and tease what can be expected from longtime fans and newcomers alike. While the original, 1981's The Evil Dead, was a straight horror movie, the franchise has grown increasingly comedic over the years. However, Raimi makes the film sound as if it'll be leaning more towards the series' horror roots. An approach shared with the previous film in the series.
"I've seen a rough cut, a medium-fine cut, and a fine cut. There's probably a few changes that [director] Lee Cronin is making that I haven't seen, but it's great... It's terrifying, and it's going to knock people's socks off," said Raimi, the director of the first film, its first two sequels, including the iconic Army of Darkness, the first episode of Ash vs. Evil Dead, and the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Raimi is producing the latest installment of the franchise he started, along with longtime production partners Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert. Campbell, of course, played series hero Ash Williams, seldom seen without his trusty boomstick or chainsaw hand, in every installment of the franchise so far, prior to announcing his intention to retire the character. Tapert, meanwhile, has served as producer on every installment of the franchise. According to Campbell, the three of them have been "very involved" in the project every step of the way.
What We Know About Evil Dead Rise So Far
Evil Dead Rise marks the fifth film in the franchise and the first in just under ten years. The last installment was 2013's Evil Dead, which was directed by Fede Álvarez, who's also known for Don't Breathe. While that film appeared to be a simple remake of the original, there is a post-credit scene where Campbell appears as Ash. Sadly, a crossover featuring him and that film's Mia Allen (Jane Levy) no longer seems to be on the table.
The official plot synopsis for the film is that a road-weary Beth (Lily Sullivan) will pay an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland, who's raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A. apartment. Unfortunately for them, the sisters' reunion is cut short by the discovery deep in the bowels of the building. A mysterious book, presumably the Necromonicon Ex-Mortis or Naturomo Demonto, as it's called in the original and 2013 film, unleashes flesh-possessing demons called Deadites within the franchise's mythology. Then Beth is thrust into a primal battle for survival, faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.
Other cast members for the film include Nell Fisher (Splendid Isolation), Morgan Davies (The End), and Gabrielle Echols (Reminiscence). While an official release date has not been announced yet, it seems like it should be happening sooner rather than later since 2022 is almost halfway over. The information in this article comes courtesy of Bloody Disgusting.