Evil Dead Rise: HorrorHound Weekend convention holding a special screening this week!

Once intended to be a straight-to-streaming HBO Max release, Evil Dead Rise went over so well with test screening audiences that it’s going to be receiving a theatrical release on April 21st. It had its official world premiere at the SXSW film festival last weekend, and the initial reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Now more genre fans are going to have the chance to watch the movie this week, as there’s going to be a special advance screening of Evil Dead Rise at the Esquire Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio on the evening of Thursday, March 23rd! This screening is only open to fans who will be attending the HorrorHound Weekend convention that’s being held in Cincinnati from the 24th through the 26th. Tickets will be offered via a link that will be posted on the HorrorHound social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) around noon Eastern time today. There is a “two ticket per person” limit.

HorrorHound writer and coordinator Jessica Dwyer, who also happens to be the writer/host of our WTF Happened to This Horror Celebrity? video series, provided the following statement: “Evil Dead Rise is a fantastic return for the series. We’re thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures to give the die hard fans a chance to see this first, because it’s their devotion which has kept the Evil Dead alive.” Jessica will also be reviewing Evil Dead Rise for us here on JoBlo and Arrow in the Head.

HorrorHound Magazine editor and event promoter Nathan Hanneman said, “Since 2007, we have strived to deliver the best convention and film festival experience to our amazing fans and customer base. All of whom crave horror as a lifestyle. The chance to partner up with Warner Bros. Pictures for such a rare early screening, and deliver it in our hometown of Cincinnati, is beyond exciting.“

Evil Dead franchise creator Sam Raimi handpicked Lee 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. 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”.

Bruce Campbell doesn’t have an acting role in Evil Dead Rise, as he has formally retired from playing franchise hero Ash on screen, 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.

Are you looking forward to Evil Dead Rise, and will you be attending the HorrorHound convention this weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below.