Evil Dead Now Director Weighs in on Taking Over the Franchise

Fans have been wondering for years who could be taking the reins of the Evil Dead franchise on the big screen, with star and producer Bruce Campbell revealing earlier this week that The Hole in the Ground director Lee Cronin would be writing and directing the new film, resulting in the filmmaker taking to Twitter to share his enthusiasm to take on the project. Cronin shared his excitement by posting a photo of himself at an Evil Dead photo op in which the famous poster of an arm coming out of the ground to choke its victim was converted into a 3D experience.

“I guess the cat is outta the bag. Or, is Henrietta out of the fruit cellar?” Cronin shared on Twitter. “Touched by all the kind words and warm wishes. Thank you! Humbled to collaborate with the legends that are Sam Raimi, [Rob Tapert] and [Bruce Campbell] on a new chapter in the Evil Dead universe.”

The franchise launched in 1981 and quickly earned a cult following, thanks in large part to one of its most famous supporters being author Stephen King. The film earned two sequels, both of which starred Campbell and were directed by Raimi.

Following the conclusion of the trilogy in 1992 with Army of Darkness, various comic books and video games continued the adventures of Ash Williams, with the next big-screen entry coming in 2013 in the form of a reboot. Despite the accomplishments of that film, it failed to connect as strongly with audiences as films focusing on Ash, which helped pave the way for the Starz TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead.

Serving as a sequel to the films, Campbell returned to the franchise, with Raimi and Tapert returning as producers. That series lasted for three seasons, with Campbell confirming the series’ conclusion would also be his last outing as the famous hero.

Despite Campbell confirming that he won’t be in the new film, it’s unclear if it will be a continuation of the original narrative or another attempt at a reboot.

“From this point forward, they kind of have to stand on their own. Which is fine. And liberating,” Campbell confessed to Empire magazine. “You could have different heroes, different heroines in this case. This one’s gonna be a little more dynamic.”

He added, “We just want to keep the series current. And the mantra, really, is that our heroes and heroines are just regular people. That’s what we’re going to continue.”

Stay tuned for details on Evil Dead Now.

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