In just three weeks of theatrical release, Evil Dead Rise (read our review right HERE), a movie that was once intended to go straight to the HBO Max (now simply known as Max) streaming service, has racked up almost $100 million at the worldwide box office. To celebrate his film’s success, writer/director Lee Cronin has taken to social media to share a look at some Evil Dead Rise concept art. You can take a look at the artwork at the bottom of this article.
Evil Dead franchise creator Sam Raimi handpicked Cronin to write and direct a new Evil Dead movie after seeing his feature directorial debut The Hole in the Ground. The story Cronin crafted for Evil Dead Rise has the following synopsis: 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.
Although the film is set in Los Angeles, filming actually took place in New Zealand. Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland star as the estranged sisters at the heart of the story. Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, and Nell Fisher play Ellie’s three kids. Anna-Maree Thomas plays Jessica, “an 18 year old girl, who is obsessed with fashion and Instagram. Jessica loves to be the center of attention, although she is smarter than she lets on”.
Bruce Campbell doesn’t have an on-screen acting role in Evil Dead Rise, as he has formally retired from playing franchise hero Ash, but he did produce the movie alongside Raimi and Rob Tapert, as those three hold the rights to the series. Evil Dead Rise is a collaboration between Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, and Ghost House Pictures.
The Evil Dead Rise concept art can be seen in this Twitter embed (click them to see bigger versions of the images):