Can fans expect the same blood drenched experience from the franchise in the future?
The Evil Dead franchise is one of the most beloved entries in the horror genre. Creator Sam Rami infused just the right concoction of gore and slapstick comedy to turn this indie horror into a blockbuster favorite. The original three films provided audiences with a lovable oaf of a hero, Ash Williams. Portrayed by Bruce Campbell, Ash is a trashy everyman that everyone can love.
After its glorious reboot in 2013, the Evil Dead took the franchise in a few different direction. First, they attempted a spin off TV series titled Ash VS The Evil Dead. Although hardcore fans of the franchise loved the show, it didn’t get enough viewership to keep running. The Franchise tried once again in 2023 with a spin-off film, Evil Dead Rise, to resounding success.
This new entry allowed for newcomers to experience the blood and guts of the original films in a city setting. This was a risky move, as all the previous films were set in a cabin in the woods. Outside of Army of Darkness, where Ash Williams travelled back in time for some reason. But the gambit paid off and audiences loved the new rule breaking movie.
“This is My Boom Stick!” Ash Williams
Seeing this reaction, Sam Rami has seemingly opened the doors to the Evil Dead franchise to whoever wants to pitch him an idea. Since the new film’s release in 2023, two new Evil Dead pitches have been approved for production. The first will be directed by the up and coming director Sebastien Vanicek. Ghost House Pictures brought Vanicek on to create the new film following his success with his new film Vermin.
The Second film will be spearheaded by Franci Galluppi. Galluppi brought his new idea to Sam Raimi following his success with The Last Stop in Yuma County. Rami was apparently impressed with the director’s take on the Evil Dead Universe. In an interview with Deadline, Rami had the following to say about the young director.
Francis Galluppi is a storyteller who knows when to keep us waiting in simmering tension and when to hit us with explosive violence. "He is a director that shows uncommon control in his feature debut."
As if that wasn’t enough, there are rumors that director Lee Cronin may be coming back to make an Evil Dead Rise sequel. It seems clear that the Evil Dead Universe is getting ready to explode. After being labeled a cult classic for so many decades, it good to see The Evil Dead finally getting the detention it deserves.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any information about what the plot of either of these films will look like beyond that fact that they are set in the same universe. According to Deadline “The project is described as an original story that Galluppi developed and brought to Raimi and team. No word on a plot or who will be producing, as it’s early days here.”
However, looking at how much Evil Dead Rise changed the formula, fans can at least speculate on what may happen. The films all use different versions of the Necronomicon to raise their evil from the dead. Since Evil Dead Rise used the original Necronomicon, we can speculate what kind of monsters we will be up against in the new film.
Of course, that’s assuming they don’t change the formula once again. Either way, more Evil Dead films will always be a good thing. The only thing left to hope for is seeing Ash Willaims take up his shotgun and chainsaw one last time.
Cameron McFarland | Contributing Writer
Sci-Fi 3D Team
