The fifth Evil Dead movie is back on track after its development was scuppered by the pandemic (and we thought Deadites were nasty!), with news that it has cast its leads. (Sorry Ash fans – Bruce won’t be returning here. Or so they’re saying, anyway…)
Starring as estranged sisters reuniting in the city – no cabin this time – actors Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan will face off against a brand-new army of darkness in a rumoured high-rise setting.
Alyssa Sutherland
Lily Sullivan
Sutherland you will be familiar with if you’re a fan of either Vikings or the short-lived TV adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist, while Sullivan will be best known to most of us for the lavish retelling of Picnic at Hanging Rock in 2018. Campbell hypes the casting in a statement, saying “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.”
While Campbell won’t be in front of the camera (again, so they say), he will produce this new franchise entry alongside the rest of the Evil Dead triumvirate, Sam Raimi, and Robert Tapert. Joining the crew will be director Lee Cronin, who impressed us (and Raimi) with 2019’s The Hole in the Ground.
The 2013 Evil Dead was a fine film that appealed to mass audiences but largely disappointed hardcore fans who craved a genuine continuation of the canon, while the three seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead that followed delivered that genuine continuation in spades… but failed horribly to find any audience, resulting in early cancellation. Could it be too much to hope for that Evil Dead Rise (to give this new film its full title) might straddle the line between both canons and clear that not-so-groovy 2013 post-credits Ash cameo up once and for all? Probably not, but it will be bloody fun nonetheless!
Evil Dead Rise will reportedly premiere in 2022 on HBO Max in the States, but we currently expect a cinema release in the UK.
Source: Deadline
