Evil Dead Rises Trailer Will Swallow Your Soul

Movies

The Deadites are back, but Earth is missing its champion. Earlier today, a trailer for Evil Dead Rise, the next installment in the Evil Dead franchise, was released. Evil Dead Rise is a… well, we’re not sure. Is it a sequel to the original Evil Dead trilogy (The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness) and Ash vs. Evil Dead? Is it a sequel to Evil Dead, the 2013 reboot/remake/whatever? Is it a reboot of its own? Nothing anyone has said makes it clear, but it has Evil Dead in the title, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are producing, and the Deadites are back, so I guess we’re not supposed to ask too many questions. Written and directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise follows a pair of estranged sisters and one of the sisters’ children who reunite only to be plagued by the Necronomicon and its unleashed hordes of Deadites. Starring Alyssa Sutherland, Lily Sullivan, Gabrielle Echols, and Morgan Davies (but not Bruce Campbell), Evil Dead Rise will hit theaters on April 21, 2023. Unfortunately, it’s a red-band trailer, so it’s restricted and YouTube won’t allow it to be embedded, but you can see it at this link. In its place, here is a creepy scene from The Evil Dead:

I love the Evil Dead movies (meaning the first three). I saw them under the exact right circumstances – my oldest friend introduced me to them in my early 20s and prepared me for them before I watched – and they stuck with me. I also loved Ash vs. Evil Dead, which is a prime example of how to resurrect a dormant franchise and bring back an older hero with both humor and respect. But a lot of what makes the series so great is Bruce Campbell’s Ash; his transformation over the first three movies and rejuvenation in Ash vs. Evil Dead is a terrific arc, especially for such a goofy character. Without him, it doesn’t feel like real Evil Dead to me. That’s kind of a shame because, in itself, the Evil Dead Rise trailer looks very cool. The visuals are amazing and extremely creepy, with the Deadites getting an upgrade in effects, even from Ash vs. Evil Dead. I love the image of the one possessed girl looking through the peephole. And, good God, that cheese grater… I tend to think this will do well, especially since the budget can’t be all that big. Maybe there’ll be a new wave of post-Ash Evil Dead movies. It doesn’t excite me much, but that’s the way of these things now.