The upcoming Evil Dead Rise takes place in the same universe as the previous four films in the franchise, even if it doesn’t connect to the films in the original trilogy or the TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead, with original director Sam Raimi recently confirming that he’d like to develop more installments in the franchise where he could collaborate with star Bruce Campbell and producer Rob Tapert again. With both Evil Dead Rise and the 2013 Evil Dead remake, Raimi, Campbell, and Tapert all served as producers, so with Campbell having retired from playing his iconic Ash Williams back in 2018, we shouldn’t expect him to reprise the role, but we also shouldn’t expect this trio to exit the franchise after this upcoming entry. Evil Dead Rise is slated to hit theaters on April 21st.
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“I love working with Bruce and Rob,” Raimi revealed to Empire Magazine. “I love it as a producer because they’re really good partners, but I also like being supported by them as the director. So I hope that is on the cards eventually.”
Following 1992’s Army of Darkness, the franchise’s legacy spread even further thanks to video games and comic books, while the 2013 film pivoted away from its predecessors for an all-new story that honored the spirit of the series. That film introduced Jane Levy’s Mia, with Raimi reflecting on how there was previously the chance to develop a fourth film in his narrative that could have allowed for a crossover with Mia’s character, but that the TV series explored a majority of the plans for that fourth film.
“That character, Mia, was great, so I was very interested,” Raimi pointed out. “We had been talking about an Evil Dead IV for the other branch of that universe, and we were worried a little bit about a collision. Ash vs. Evil Dead is what that morphed into. But I always thought there was room for both. I still think there’s room for all sorts of Evil Dead movies. I don’t think they cancel each other out.”
Raimi’s remarks about collaborating with Campbell might ignite excitement among Evil Dead fans about another live-action sequel, and while Campbell has often expressed his retirement from live-action role, he recently teased that an animated entry is an entirely different possibility.
“All I can say is we’re actively pursuing it,” Campbell confirmed to Bloody Disgusting about an animated film. “Sam’s a busy guy. He had a big hit movie, so he’s got a lot on his plate, but he and his brother are actively shaping out the world. It’s one thing to get an animator and say, ‘Hey, animate this!’ You’ve got to know what you’re going to animate. I look forward to it, because my voice hasn’t aged as much as I have.”
Stay tuned for details on the future of the Evil Dead franchise. Evil Dead Rise lands in theaters on April 21st.
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