The highly-anticipated horror film Evil Dead Rise drops its first chilling trailer, with both green and red band versions available.
The conventional demonic ordeal of the Evil Dead franchise has left its cabin-in-the-woods setting for a family dynamic in the city, albeit one that’s still plagued by the possessed. The upcoming new film centers on a pair of estranged sisters, played by Alyssa Sutherland (The Mist) and Lily Sullivan (I Met a Girl), who won’t have time mend fences since one of them becomes the vessel of a malevolent spirit, compounding the trauma to her daughter. This leads to what the film’s logline refers to as “a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.”
Directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rises is the fifth mainline entry in creator Sam Raimi’s iconic franchise. While retaining many elements fans will recognize, such as the stylized violence and gore and the presence of the seemingly unkillable Deadites, the latest movie seeks to differentiate itself from the rest of the series. The story will largely focus on a new group of characters and will be an entirely standalone narrative. Original Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell confirmed that his fan-favorite character Ash Williams will not make an appearance but many suspect the actor will cameo in some capacity.
Evil Dead’s Violent Legacy
Alongside Cronin, Evil Dead Rise‘s creative team comprises many of the people who actively worked on the original, including Robert Tapert as a producer, with Raimi and Campbell executive producing. Speaking about handing the writing and directing responsibilities over to a different filmmaker, Raimi reportedly only had two requests for the film: “Make sure there’s a book involved, and make sure there are good Deadites,” recalled Cronin.
On the topic of the gore and violence that has become synonymous with Evil Dead, Cronin acknowledged that fans wouldn’t be disappointed. “I had to hire an industrial kitchen to create the amount of blood we needed,” the director said. “When I was checking out, I had to warn the landlord, ‘You’re going to find bloody handprints all over the apartment — but they’re not real, honest!'”
Based on the sinister marketing materials, many fans have questioned whether Evil Dead Rise will incorporate some of the humor that’s become synonymous with Raimi’s films. “I think this is a balls-to-the-wall, roller coaster of terror, but I was determined that even in the darkest situations there can be levity,” Cronin explained. The filmmaker went on to compare the upcoming film to the older chapters, noting that Rise won’t be as over-the-top as Evil Dead 2 but will be more humorous than the 2013 reboot.
Evil Dead Rise hits theaters on April 21.
