The Evil Dead franchise is returning in a big way this year with the release of Evil Dead: The Game, which is now available, and a new film called Evil Dead Rise. The movie will be released exclusively on HBO Max this year and now Bruce Campbell, who played Ash across the franchise but is serving as a producer here, is saying that Evil Dead Rise is a “very adult Evil Dead movie.”
In the book “The Art of Evil Dead: The Game”, there is a new interview with Campbell that has him discussing a bit about the new film, via Bloody Disgusting. While he doesn’t give away plot details, he does go into the tone of the movie:
“I’m very excited about it. It’s going to be really cool and very, very intense. It’s dark, a very adult Evil Dead movie. I wouldn’t call it a yuck fest – it’s pretty tough, pretty hard-hitting stuff. And that’s the variation that you have within the Evil Dead franchise and within horror itself. It’s all about the filmmaker.”
It would appear that Evil Dead Rise is more in line with Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead remake rather than the sequels made by Sam Raimi. Less emphasis on humor and more focus on a darker and intense experience. I’m actually all about that because I prefer that tone for these films but I can also respect what they became as they evolved. In speaking on how the tone really depends on the filmmaker Campbell said, “Sam Raimi handpicks these guys, and so Lee Cronin is the guy who directed it, and he’s a little bit of a serious dude. So you let him do his thing.”
Per the film’s official synopsis, “In the fifth Evil Dead film, 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.” The film stars Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Alyssa Sutherland, and Lily Sullivan.
No official date announced as of yet but Evil Dead Rise is expected to drop on HBO Max in 2022. What are YOUR thoughts on the tone of the latest installment?