A week ago, we heard that the first look at writer/director Lee Cronin contribution to the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, would be unveiled today. Fans were hoping to see a trailer – but while that hasn’t shown up yet, Cronin and producer Bruce Campbell did take to social media to share the first image of a Deadite from the film! You can check that out at the bottom of this article.
Evil Dead franchise creator Sam Raimi handpicked Lee Cronin to make 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. Mia Challis is playing 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”.
Campbell does not appear in the movie, as he has formally retired from playing the role of Evil Dead franchise hero Ash, but he did produce the film 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.
Evil Dead Rise was originally intended to be released through the HBO Max streaming service, but the film scored so highly at test screenings that it’s going to get a theatrical release on April 21st.
Are you looking forward to Evil Dead Rise? Let us know by leaving a comment below… and take a look at the first image while you’re scrolling down.