Fans don’t have to “shop smart, shop S-Mart” to know that theEvil Deadfilm franchise continues to kill it over 40 years after the original movie horrified unsuspecting audiences back in 1981. And while the series’ irreplaceable protagonist Ash Williams, who is played by the incomparable Bruce Campbell, didn’t show up in the last installment — Does hearing his voice coming from that vinyl record really count? —Evil Dead Riseexecutive producer Campbell and the franchise’s creator, Sam Raimi, plan on serving up even moreEvil Deadfilms every couple of years. Campbell said in an exclusive interview withCollider:
“We’re going to do them probably more like every two to three years now, rather than every 10 years. But, hey, we’ve seen with Star Wars — you don’t want to wear people out. Keep them guessing! We never wore out our welcome with Evil Dead because we never choked them.”
Campbell kept the magic of the franchise going as he once more took up the mantle and gnarly chainsaw arm of the charismatic shoveler of malarkey in the wildly popular Starz series,Ash vs Evil Dead,from 2015 until 2018. The horror comedy came on the heels of the 2013Evil Deadreimagining, which did feature Campbell as Ash in the post-credits scene. And as “groovy” as it was to see the character again, don’t expect him to show up saying, “Hail to the king, baby,” anytime soon in the new projects.
Related:Every Movie and TV Show in the Evil Dead Horror Franchise, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
‘You Ain’t Leading But Two Things…’
“Give me some sugar, baby.” Sadly, it’s been a while since Ash uttered those words and asked a woman for a kiss in his own unique, romantic way. But don’t expect it to happen again in the upcomingEvil Deadfilms. Bruce Campbell will continue to serve as a producer, as will creator Sam Raimi, butAshley Williams won’t be returning to theEvil Dead. According to Campbell, Ash’s days of fighting the forces of darkness are over. Campbell said in an exclusive interview with MovieWeb:
The old chainsaw has been hung up.
Yes, the man behind Ash did serve as executive producer onEvil Dead Rise(2023), butCampbell was candid about the reimagining’s darker tone. But come on… is there any scene or bit of on-screen imagery more shocking than the possessed tree that attacks Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) in the 1981 film? Even the remake’s take on the controversial celluloid couldn’t live up to the sheer repulsion audiences felt 42 years ago when those tree branches abused poor Cheryl.
Following the creepy and baleful tone ofThe Evil Dead,Evil Dead II(1987) downshifted into a horror comedy six years later. That’s when Ash — Didn’t Campbell’s character die in the first film? — started amassing a plethora of catchphrases and unforgettable quotes. And it’s not often that a third installment in a movie franchise outdoes its predecessors, butArmy of Darkness(1992) arguably did just that.
Despite more gore and violence — not to mention the absence of Ash —Evil Dead Risewas a box office hit. The horror film made $146.7 million worldwide, and both audiences and critics thought the new entry was “groovy.”Evil Dead Riseregisters at 84% on the Tomatometer, and audiences gave the movie a “B” CinemaScore, which is excellent for a scary flick. Fans can stream or binge-watch the latest installment in the horror franchise,Evil Dead Rise, on Max — at the time of this writing. And for those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Ash, check out just what kind of hero fights the forces of darkness in theEvil Deadfranchise, courtesy of JoBlo Horror Originals (below):
