Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell Says New Sequel "Does Not Suck" and Is "Very European"

Bruce Campbell may have left the live-action Evil Dead franchise behind with the final season of Ash vs. Evil Dead, but he remains invested in the series as a producer, which includes the upcoming Evil Dead Rise. The new sequel is directed by Lee Cronin, and while Campbell might play coy about the specific details of the film's plot, he recently confirmed that it "doesn't suck," which feels like a ringing endorsement from the often-sarcastic actor. Additionally, with Cronin hailing from Ireland, Campbell claimed the new sequel felt "very European." Evil Dead Rise is expected to debut on HBO Max later this year.

When speaking with Collider about it being exciting that a new sequel was on the way, Campbell confessed, "It is [exciting] because it actually does not suck in the least. Lee Cronin did a great job. [Original director] Sam [Raimi] picks these director types who've had some experience, but we can still sort of shove them into the Evil Dead box a little bit since these are Maverick-type directors."

Raimi directed the three initial Evil Dead films, in which Campbell starred as Ash Williams, with the pair both serving as producers of the 2013 reboot of the concept from director Fede Álvarez, along with original producer Rob Tapert also producing. Despite positive reactions among the horror crowd, the film failed to earn much financial success, preventing the project from earning any sequels.

Even with Campbell returning to his iconic role for three seasons of Ash vs. Evil Dead, that project never earned a large enough viewership at STARZ and wasn't renewed after Season 3. The physical toll the narrative took on Campbell resulted in him announcing his retirement from the live-action world. 

The upcoming Evil Dead Rise won't be a reboot or remake and instead serves as a continuation of the mythology that came before it, even if it won't star actors from previous installments.

"I give Sam credit, he's not picking people, we're just gonna mimic his sh-t," Campbell shared. "They come with very strong personalities and approaches. It's a very European Evil Dead."

While the film is being billed as an HBO Max original, Campbell also teased that the reception to it so far has been promising enough that it might warrant a theatrical release.

Stay tuned for details on Evil Dead Rise.

Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!