Ok, so that headline was cruel on our part, we admit it. See, it’s not really an EVIL DEAD 4 if Team Raimi’s not involved right? And boy, are none of those guys any part of this…

In a story reported by THR, a film company by the name of Award Pictures are claiming they own the rights to the EVIL DEAD title now after Sam Raimi & Robert Tapert’s production company Renaissance let the brand languish, pointing to an article in a book released in 2000 that featured a quote from the director saying that they “would never make a sequel”. To these geniuses at Award Pictures that meant they’d be able to somehow claim it as their own, and have begun developing EVIL DEAD 4: CONSEQUENCES. Pfft.

They’re forgetting one thing – nobody gives a monkey’s what you call it, if it ain’t got Bruce Campbell as Ash then we don’t care. These non-canon sequels are miserable exercises in shameless cash–in, always at the expense of the talent that brought us the original in the first place. Whether it’s straight-to-DVD Disney dross or DONNIE DARKO 2, they’re all as dreadful as each other.

Even if Award Pictures did dodge the lawsuit that Raimi et al is preparing to rain down upon them, an EVIL DEAD 4 from these guys would be forgotten quickly enough.

But really, they don’t have a leg to stand on. As far as their assertion goes that Renaissance abandoned the brand, it’s probably best if somebody points out that not only did 2 new EVIL DEAD based games arrive for iPhone last year alone, but it’s long been known that the flippin’ REMAKE is due next year, and it’s produced by Raimi & Tapert themselves!

Baffling. Hope the guys at Award Pics have deep pockets!

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