Horror fans, rejoice: A sequel to “The Evil Dead” is in the works at HBO Max, and the team behind the original 1981 classic, including director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell, are returning as executive producers.
The new film, “Evil Dead Rise,” is the next chapter in the “Evil Dead” saga that reunites Raimi and Campbell with studio New Line Cinema as well as Robert Tapert, a producer on the original franchise.
The new film will move from the woods to the city and star Alyssa Sutherland (“The Mist,” “Vikings”) and Lily Sullivan (“Picnic at Hanging Rock,” “Jungle”) as two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
Raimi also handpicked Lee Cronin, the director of 2019’s “The Hole in the Ground,” to be the writer and director on this next installment. Tapert is producing, and Raimi and Campbell are executive producing along with Romel Adam, John Keville and Macdara Kelleher.
“I’m thrilled to bring ‘Evil Dead’ back to its original home at New Line 40 years after the release of the first film. The company’s history as pioneers of horror speaks for itself,” Raimi said in a statement. “I’m equally excited to be working with Lee Cronin, whose gifts as a storyteller make him the ideal filmmaker to continue the enduring legacy of the franchise.”
“At its core, ‘Evil Dead’ is about ordinary people overcoming extraordinarily terrifying situations,” Campbell added. “I can’t wait for Alyssa and Lily to fill the blood-soaked shoes of those who have come before them and carry on that tradition.”
“The ‘Evil Dead’ movies filled my brain with terror and awe when I first saw them at nine years old. I am excited and humbled to be resurrecting the most iconic of evil forces for both the fans and a whole new generation,” Cronin said in a statement.
“New Line has a proud history of involvement in some of the most influential and enduring horror films of all time, and the original ‘The Evil Dead’ was a landmark moment for the Studio. The movie transformed the genre and with each new installment, Sam, Rob and Bruce have continued to raise the bar,” Richard Brener, president and chief creative officer for New Line Cinema, said in a statement. “It’s exciting to have them back in the fold for ‘Evil Dead Rise’ after all these years, especially as they bring with them an immense talent in director Lee Cronin. His inventive spirit and his reverence for the franchise make him the perfect director to unleash ‘Evil Dead’ once again.”
The “Evil Dead” franchise featured three films, all directed by Raimi, including a 1987 sequel and “Army of Darkness” from 1992. The franchise was rebooted in 2013 by director Fede Alvarez, and Campbell returned to star as his iconic character Ash in the Starz horror series “Ash Vs. Evil Dead” that ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2018.
Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert are represented by CAA and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman, LLP. Lee Cronin is represented by CAA, Cavalry Media and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.
