Evil Dead Rise
Evil Dead Rise | |
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Directed by | Lee Cronin |
Written by | Lee Cronin |
Based on | Characters by Sam Raimi |
Produced by | Rob Tapert |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Dave Garbett |
Edited by | Bryan Shaw |
Music by | Stephen McKeon |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Evil Dead Rise is a 2023 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Lee Cronin. It is the fifth installment of the Evil Dead film series. The film stars Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland as two estranged sisters trying to survive and save their family from demonic creatures. Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher (in her film debut) appear in supporting roles.
The film's development was preceded by scrapped plans for sequels to Evil Dead (2013) and Army of Darkness (1992), and a fourth season of Ash vs Evil Dead (2015–2018). By October 2019, Sam Raimi announced that a new film was in development, with Rob Tapert producing, Raimi and Bruce Campbell executive producing, and Cronin writing and directing the project. New Line Cinema (the first film's distributor) was announced as a production company involved. Principal photography took place in New Zealand from June to October 2021.
Evil Dead Rise had its premiere at South by Southwest on March 15, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 21, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Premise
After a long journey on the road, Beth visits her older sister Ellie, who is struggling to raise three children alone in a small Los Angeles apartment. However, their reunion is interrupted when they find a strange book hidden in the depths of Ellie's building, which unleashes horrid flesh-possessing demons.[2][3]
Cast
- Lily Sullivan as Beth[4]
- Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie[4]
- Morgan Davies as Danny[4]
- Gabrielle Echols as Bridget[4]
- Nell Fisher as Kassie[4]
- Richard Crouchley as Caleb[5]
- Mirabai Pease as Teresa[5]
- Anna-Maree Thomas as Jessica[5]
- Jayden Daniels as Gabriel[6]
- Billy Reynolds-McCarthy as Jake[6]
- Tai Wano as Scott[6]
Production
Development
At the South by Southwest premiere, Fede Álvarez announced that his film Evil Dead (2013), a remake of The Evil Dead (1981), would be getting a sequel.[7][8] In addition, Sam Raimi confirmed plans to write Evil Dead 4 with his brother Ivan Raimi; it was later specified that the film would be a sequel to Army of Darkness (1992).[9] At a WonderCon panel in March 2013, Bruce Campbell and Álvarez stated that their ultimate plan was for Álvarez's Evil Dead 2 and Raimi's Army of Darkness 2 to be followed by a seventh film which would merge the narratives of Ash Williams and Mia Allen.[10] Campbell confirmed that he would reprise his role as Ash in Army of Darkness 2.[11] Álvarez later that month tweeted to his followers that Raimi would serve as director on Army of Darkness 2.[12] By November, Campbell expressed doubts in a fourth Evil Dead film.[13][14] In September 2017, during a panel at Fan Expo Canada, Campbell stated that he believes the only successful future for the franchise is via a premium cable network, citing Ash vs Evil Dead on Starz as an example.[15]
In November 2018, Álvarez announced that "They're just ideas right now. Nothing to announce officially. We do have a script for Don't Breathe 2. That's the only difference. We don't have a script for Evil Dead 2. But we do have a script for Don't Breathe 2 that we wrote." He also said that "When I tweeted that I was interested in seeing what people prefer. We were having some internal debates about what people would be interested in most. Unfortunately, Evil Dead 2 won. Which, I guess I would have preferred Don't Breathe 2 to win because it's one of my own creations. Obviously Evil Dead has the bigger following."[16] In July 2019, Raimi discussed the future of the Evil Dead franchise, saying that "We'd like to make another Evil Dead feature and in fact we're working on some ideas right now." Raimi said that he would be interested in making another film with Campbell, however, Campbell earlier claimed that he had retired from the role of Ash. He said another option would be a sequel to the 2013 reboot, however, he is unsure if Álvarez would want to make a sequel at this point because the director is a successful "artist in demand" now.[17]
Pre-production
In October 2019, Raimi announced at New York Comic Con that a new film was in development. Robert G. Tapert was set to produce, while Raimi and Campbell served as executive producers only, all under their Ghost House Pictures banner.[18] In June 2020, Campbell revealed that Lee Cronin was handpicked by Raimi to write and direct the film, then titled Evil Dead Now, after Cronin previously collaborated with Raimi on the horror streaming series 50 States of Fright.[19][20][21] In May 2021, New Line Cinema (who distributed the first film) had picked up the film, with it scheduled to be released on HBO Max and retitled Evil Dead Rise.[22]
Casting
In May 2021, it was reported that Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan had been cast in the lead roles.[22] In June 2021, Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, and Nell Fisher were added to the cast.[23] In July 2021, Mia Challis was reported to have joined the cast.[3]
Filming
Principal photography began in New Zealand on June 6, 2021,[24][25][26] with Dave Garbett serving as cinematographer.[27] Garbett previously served as a cinematographer on several episodes of Ash vs Evil Dead.[27] On July 14, 2021, Cronin revealed that filming was officially half way done.[28] Filming officially wrapped on October 27, 2021. Cronin stated the film used over 6,500 liters (about 1,717 gallons) of fake blood.[29]
Music
In April 2022, Stephen McKeon was announced to be composing the score, after collaborating with Cronin on The Hole in the Ground (2019).[30]
Release
Evil Dead Rise had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 15, 2023,[31][32] before its theatrical release on April 21, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.[33]
The film was originally set for a streaming-only release on HBO Max, but was switched to a theatrical release in August 2022 as part of a restructuring plan for film distribution at Warner Bros. that would see the studio relying less on HBO Max-only releases and more on theatrical releases.[34]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 33 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Offering just about everything longtime fans could hope for while still managing to carry the franchise forward, Evil Dead Rise is all kinds of groovy."[35] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[36]
Notes
- ^ Promotional material alternatively use the Ghost House Pictures logo.
References
- ^ "Evil Dead Rise (18)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Perry, Spencer (March 22, 2022). "Evil Dead Rise Officially Rated R, Surprising No One". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Grobar, Matt (July 14, 2021). "Mia Challis Boards HBO Max Sequel 'Evil Dead Rise'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Leydon, Joe (March 16, 2023). "'Evil Dead Rise' Review: More Scary Stuff as Supernatural Creatures Once Again Play by the Book". Variety. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c Complex, Valerie (March 16, 2023). "Evil Dead Rise Review: Deadites Cause High-Rise Havoc In Lee Cronin's Latest Horror Venture – SXSW". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c Edwards, Chris (January 4, 2023). "Watch the first official trailer for Evil Dead Rise". NME. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Douglas, Edward (March 9, 2013). "No Evil Dead 4 ... Army of Darkness 2!". Shock Till You Drop. Archived from the original on April 21, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Evil Dead Remake: New Characters, New Story, & Bruce Campbell Cameo". Screen Rant. July 20, 2011. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Sam Raimi's Next Project is Army of Darkness 2 Not Evil Dead 4". Screen Rant. July 20, 2011. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ Fischer, Russ (March 30, 2013). "Bruce Campbell and 'Evil Dead' Director Fede Álvarez Would Love to Merge Original and Remake Storylines". /Film. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Bruce Campbell Confirms He Will Do Army Of Darkness Sequel". Comicbook.com. October 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Twitter / fedalvar: "@thielebenjamin: Hey @fedalvar". Twitter.com. October 26, 2013. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Bruce Campbell says No Army of Darkness 2". Youtube.com. November 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Turek, Ryan (November 5, 2013). "Bruce Campbell Wants to Set the Record Straight About Army of Darkness 2, And He Feels Bad for You". Shock Till You Drop. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "[EXCLUSIVE] Bruce Campbell Fan Expo Q&A - Hail to the King, Baby! | Nightmare on Film Street". Nightmare on Film Street. September 5, 2017. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Scott, Ryan (November 2, 2018). "'Evil Dead 2' & 'Don't Breathe 2' Updates Arrive from Director Fede Álvarez". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ Hamman, Cody (July 10, 2019). "Sam Raimi Pondering Three Options For Continuing 'Evil Dead' Franchise". JoBlo. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ Dick, Jeremy (October 4, 2019). "Sam Raimi Teases New 'Evil Dead' Movie with New Director, Bruce Campbell Producing". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ Squires, John (September 29, 2020). "Watch a Creepy Clip from 'Evil Dead Rise' Director Lee Cronin's "50 States of Fright" Episode". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ "Bruce Campbell Reveals New Evil Dead Plans With Director Lee Cronin – Exclusive". Empire Online. June 8, 2020. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Leighton, Susan. "The Cool Side of My Pillow Interview: A Trip Inside the Mind of Bruce Campbell". Diabolique Magazine. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Couch, Aaron (May 26, 2021). "'Evil Dead Rise' Set at New Line, HBO Max". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Kit, Borys (June 16, 2021). "New Line's 'Evil Dead Rise' Adds Young Trio to Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ Dick, Jeremy (June 7, 2021). "Evil Dead Rise Begins Filming, Director Shares First Set Photo". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Scott (June 7, 2021). "'Evil Dead Rise' Director Shares Groovy Image To Mark First Day of Filming". Collider. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Skinner, Tom (March 10, 2021). "Bruce Campbell reveals 'Evil Dead Rise' will start filming this year". NME. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Laman, Douglas (June 7, 2021). "Evil Dead Rise Director Teases Start of Filming With BTS Photo". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (July 14, 2021). "Evil Dead Rise Director Confirms Production Is Half Done". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Ridgely, Charlie (October 26, 2021). "New Evil Dead Movie Wraps Production, Used Over 1500 Gallons of Blood". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ^ filmmusicreporter (April 11, 2022). "Stephen McKeon Scoring Lee Cronin's 'Evil Dead Rise'". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ "SXSW – 'Evil Dead Rise', 'The Wrath of Becky', & 'Late Night With the Devil' to World Premiere! [Images]". Bloody Disgusting. January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ "Evil Dead Rise Schedule". SXSW. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ Squires, John (August 24, 2022). "'Evil Dead Rise' Getting a Theatrical Release in April 2023!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 24, 2022). "'Aquaman 2' Heads To Christmas 2023, 'Shazam: Fury Of The Gods' Goes To March; HBO Max Pics 'House Party' & 'Evil Dead Rise' Going Theatrical – Warner Bros. Release Date Changes". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "Evil Dead Rise". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ "Evil Dead Rise". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
External links
- 2023 films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s English-language films
- 2023 horror films
- American horror films
- American splatter films
- American supernatural horror films
- Dark fantasy films
- Demons in film
- The Evil Dead (franchise) films
- Films about spirit possession
- Films set in apartment buildings
- Films set in Los Angeles
- Films set in California
- Films shot in New Zealand
- Ghost House Pictures films
- New Line Cinema films
- Warner Bros. films
- Works by Lee Cronin