Writer/director Lee Cronin has told Empire magazine that 6500 liters (or 1717 gallons) of fake blood were sprayed and spilled during the production of his contribution to the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, and some of that blood can be seen in the newly unveiled image from the film, which features a blood-coated character wielding a shotgun. You can see the image at the bottom of this article.
Cronin added that Evil Dead Rise “straps you onto a rocket that’s fueled by blood. You can either get off or you stay on ’til it explodes.”
Evil Dead franchise creator Sam Raimi handpicked 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”.
Bruce 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 taking a blood-fueled rocket ride with Evil Dead Rise? Let us know by leaving a comment below. I’m definitely looking forward to taking this ride.