Bruce Campbell and director Sam Raimi would be interested in making another Evil Dead movie together.
To many, the term “comedy-horror” is synonymous with Bruce Campbell and the Evil Dead franchise, and they’re right to think so. According to Empire, Sam Raimi is enthusiastic about the new Evil Dead Rise film that was written and directed by Lee Cronin and slated for an April 21, 2023 release. The new film will feature all new characters in a new setting and will not be following the legendary Ash character that Campbell has portrayed in the past- though Raimi would love to bring Campbell back in some way, shape, or form in future iterations of Evil Dead.
Though Bruce Campbell is known for playing the iconic role of Ash in The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness films, as well as the 2015 Ash vs Evil Dead television series, he was noticeably absent from the 2013 Evil Dead reboot aside from a very brief post-credit cameo. Campbell is also absent from Evil Dead Rise, though some suspect he has a hidden cameo somewhere in the background in your typical sneaky Bruce Campbell fashion! Although the franchise is exploring new territory, Raimi has gone on record stating that he would love to do another feature film with Campbell reprising his role as Ash, especially if producer Rob Tapert is on board.
Bruce Campbell has not portrayed Ash on the big screen since Evil Dead’s third installment, Army of Darkness, which came out in 1993. Campbell, however, brought Ash (and his trusty chainsaw) to television sets in the Ash vs Evil Dead Starz series for three seasons. Weighing in on the prospect of a future feature-length collaboration with Campbell and Tapert, Raimi stated, “I love working with Bruce and Rob. 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.”
Raimi goes on to say that although the franchise has strayed away from Bruce Campbell’s Ash in favor of Mia Allen’s story in 2013’s Evil Dead reboot directed by Fede Álvarez (Alien: Romulus), and follows the lives of Ellie and Beth in 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, that there is still room in the Evil Dead universe to merge these stories in future installments. While there have been discussions in the past of an Evil Dead IV and Army of Darkness 2 picking up where the original universe left off, nothing has been set in stone as of this time.
In regard to expanding the Evil Dead universe, Raimi stated, “I always thought there was room for both. I still think there’s room for all sorts of Evil Dead movies.” While the future of Bruce Campbell in the Evil Dead franchise is currently uncertain, the Don’t Move director is hopeful that the Bubba Hotep star will one day reprise his role as Ash.
The Evil Dead franchise garnered a legendary cult status after the release of 1981’s The Evil Dead. The story takes place in a cabin in the woods in Tennessee, where its inhabitants uncover an ancient Sumerian text that causes those around it to be possessed by supernatural forces. The film expertly combines elements of horror and comedy that are hard to look away from, which greatly contributed to the film’s success.
Though Bruce Campbell has expressed doubts, stating that the future of Evil Dead’s success is more likely in the form of a premium cable series like Ash vs Evil Dead, Raimi thinks there is still potential for Campbell to bring Ash back to the big screen. In the meantime, we’ve still got Evil Dead Rise to look forward to, and we’re sure it’ll be the bloodbath we need to curb our cravings for future reboots in the meantime.
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