Bruce Campbell Says EVIL DEAD RISE Is "All About the Necronomicon"
The next chapter of the Evil Dead franchise is Rive Dead Rise, and it’s currently in production in New Zealand under the direction of Lee Cronin.
The film tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings) and Lily Sullivan (Picnic at Hanging Rock), “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.”
It’s exciting stuff, but producer Bruce Campbell recently shared some additional information about the story during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, which is sure to pique the interest of fans. He explains that the story is all about the Necronomicon, a.k.a. The Book of the Dead.
“It’s book-centric. It’s all about [the Necronomicon]. Where does this book wind up and what happens to it over the millennia? In this case, it’s set in the city, it’s no more cabin in the woods. It’s entirely different, unsuspecting heroines who are going to save the day.”
As for whether the film is a sequel, a remake, or a reimagining, Campbell says it doesn’t matter, “People can actually call it what [they] want: Sequel, remake, reimagining. It really is just another Evil Dead movie.”
It’s just another Evil Dead movie, and that’s all I really care about. That’s exactly the reason why I’m excited about it! The Necronomicon ex Mortis made its big debut The Evil Dead in 1981. Bound in human flesh and inked in blood, this ancient Sumerian text contained bizarre burial rites, funerary incantations and demon-resurrection passages. - It was never meant for the world of the living. - The book awoke something dark in the woods. And now it seems, it will awake something dark in the city.
In a previous statement, Campbell said, “At its core, Evil Dead is about ordinary people overcoming extraordinarily terrifying situations. 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.”
Cronin added, “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.”
The film is being produced exclusively for HBO Max.