Evil Dead Rise Director Confirms Picture Lock on New Sequel

By Patrick Cavanaugh

The latest entry in the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, might not yet have a release date, but the project just got one step closer to completion, as director Lee Cronin confirmed that the edit has been locked. The filmmaker pointed out that the sound design and score still needed to be crafted, while also noting how much time went into editing the picture. While it doesn't offer much insight into the actual film, he included a look at the visual breakdown of how the edit looks from a technical perspective. Evil Dead Rise is expected to debut on HBO Max later this year.

"Picture lock on [Evil Dead Rise]. One step closer to unleashing this beast into the world," Cronin captioned the photo. "6 months editing have gone into this timeline. Onto music composition and sound design we go..."

Excitement and expectations are high for the upcoming sequel for a number of reasons. Original director Sam Raimi, star Bruce Campbell, and producer Rob Tapert all serve as producers on the upcoming film, as they did on the 2013 reboot of the concept. Part of what sets this new film apart from the previous installment is that, while that film served somewhat as a reimagining, this new take is meant to be a continuation of the original three films, despite Campbell not appearing in the project as his iconic Ash Williams.

Another unique component of this upcoming entry is that, while the debut installments centered around a remote cabin in the woods, this new film is taking the terror into the city, allowing all-new opportunities for the Deadites to release their madness on unexpecting victims.

The film's synopsis reads, "In the fifth Evil Dead film, 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."

Despite those changes, Cronin previously detailed what will remain consistent about the franchise.

"For me, the key thing that I kept reminding myself of, when you're in the trenches and you're developing something, was to make sure it's a roller coaster, to make sure that it has twists and turns and that it's visceral and engaging," Cronin shared with ComicBook.com in 2020. "Some of that is going back to what I just said, is that I wanted to create a roller coaster of terror. That was really, really the key for me. My memories of Evil Dead, when I watched them at a young age, was always marveling at "how does this even exist?" It just continues to poke at my brain and refresh every time I watch it. To boil it down into an even simpler thing, was that it's experiential. It has to be a horror experience. That's the key, and that's what I've been trying to achieve with it."

Stay tuned for details on Evil Dead Rise.

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

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