Evil Dead 4 Updates: Release Date & Story
David Craig Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have both confirmed that an Evil Dead 4 is on the way, and here's everything we know about the movie so far.
Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have both confirmed that an Evil Dead 4 is on the way, and here's everything we know about the movie so far. The Evil Dead franchise has now been delighting horror fans for nearly 40 years, since Raimi and Campbell's original 1981 film. 1987's Evil Dead 2 and 1992's Army of Darkness would go on to cement both men as genre icons, with Raimi going on to direct the blockbuster Spider-Man trilogy and Campbell racking up a resume of over 100 movie and TV roles.
In 2013, the Evil Dead brand was resurrected for a film by director Fede Alvarez, a quasi-remake of Raimi's original, but also a story that was hinted to take place in the established Evil Dead universe. However, instead of Alvarez returning for what seemed to be a likely sequel to his hit, Raimi and Campbell returned to the property in 2015 for the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show that aired for three seasons on Starz.
After Ash vs. Evil Dead was canceled, Campbell made it known that he was retiring the character of Ash, but gave his blessing to the franchise continuing without him. Prior to a confirmed announcement, it was rumored there would be a fourth Evil Dead film, with Raimi and Alvarez suggesting the next installment would be somewhat of a crossover between the remake and Ash. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. That said, Evil Dead 4, officially titled Evil Dead Rise, is still happening. Here's what we know.
Evil Dead 4 Release Date
Sam Raimi confirmed that Evil Dead Rise was in the works in October 2019, and also announced that Bruce Campbell would only be involved as an executive producer. In June 2020, Campbell revealed that Raimi had handpicked a writer/director for Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin, helmer of the European horror effort The Hole in the Ground. Evil Dead Rise began filming in June 2021 in New Zealand, where Ash vs. Evil Dead was shot. On July 14, Cronin announced that production was halfway done. Evil Dead Rise is planned to skip theaters and release directly on HBO Max sometime in 2022.
Evil Dead 4 Cast
Fitting the indie spirit of past Evil Dead movies, and the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show, the cast of Evil Dead Rise will mostly be composed of up and comers and relative unknowns. Leading things as Beth is Lily Sullivan, an Australian actress and model who's had a handful of TV roles, mostly in her home country. Playing Beth's older sister Ellie is Alyssa Suthlerland, another Aussie who's significantly more well-known in the U.S. due to prominent roles on Vikings and the TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist. Fellow young actors Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, and Nell Fisher have also been cast in unknown roles, while Mia Challis - soon to appear in multiple episodes of Netflix's Clickbait - will play fashionable teen Jessica.
Evil Dead 4 Plot Details
Based on the plot details so far, Evil Dead Rise is set to be drastically different from the prior movies in the franchise. It centers on Beth, who goes to visit her older sister Ellie at the latter's small Los Angeles apartment. Ellie is trying to raise three kids alone, and things are understandably hard. Before long though, things get much worse, as Beth discovers a "mysterious book" - presumably the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis - in the lower reaches of Ellie's building, and demons are soon afoot and looking to possess the living. It's unclear if Evil Dead Rise will directly tie back to the prior films, but if it does, it'll be interesting to see how Cronin's script explains Ash's absence, if at all. It would also be fun to see Campbell make a cameo for old times' sake, possibly as a monster or in some other non-Ash role where he could be disguised a bit under make-up.
