Like the Deadites that populate franchise history, Evil Dead continues to endure with modern audiences over 40 years after the release of the original film in 1981. It is set to continue as the mind behind the franchise confirmed a brand new Evil Dead film is on the way, continuing on from the success of 2023's Evil Dead Rise.
Director Sam Raimi confirmed on Friday that a new film entry in the Evil Dead series is on the way from Raimi's production company Ghost House Pictures, according to Deadline. Relative-newcomer Francis Galluppi has been tapped to write and direct the new film in what will be his second feature after 2023's The Last Stop in Yuma Country, though Galluppi does have several shorts and music videos under his belt.
Raimi spoke glowingly of Galluppi in a statement to Deadline and what he believes the young director will bring to the film.
“Francis Galluppi is a storyteller who knows when to keep us waiting in simmering tension and when to hit us with explosive violence,” Raimi said. “He is a director that shows uncommon control in his feature debut.”
Despite only having one feature under his belt, Galluppi made a big impression on audiences with The Last Stop in Yuma Country at the 2023 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, with most critics speaking highly of the film after their screenings. It will receive a wider release in 2024 through independent film distributor Well Go USA Entertainment.
The Galluppi-directed Evil Dead film will be the sixth entry in the series that began with 1981's The Evil Dead, itself an independently-made horror film from Sam Raimi.
Klaatu barada *cough* nik-*cough*-hu
The original film followed a group of friends spending a weekend at a remote cabin in Tennessee when they discover a mysterious book titled Naturom Demonto and a tape recording from the archaeologist who discovered it. After playing the recording of incantations, the friends are beset by demonic entities that slowly transform several of them into undead beings bent on torturing and killing the others.
While the first film was more of a traditional horror film, the horror-comedy tones of 1987's Evil Dead 2 would become synonymous with the series and its lead character, Ash Williams, portrayed by Bruce Campbell. Evil Dead 2 also served as a loose remake of the first film with the opening act retelling the events of The Evil Dead, though the only other character from the original seen is Ash's girlfriend Lisa.
The series would get even crazier with 1992's Army of Darkness, which picks up shortly after the end of Evil Dead 2 where Ash is hurled backwards in time to the Middle Ages. As he searches for a way back home, Ash must also aid the castle and village who discover him after accidentally unleashing Deadites upon them.
After a 20 year hiatus, Evil Dead returned to movie theaters with 2013's Evil Dead directed by Fede Alvarez in a film that harkened back to the pure horror tones of Raimi's original film. The film was a success at release, but the series would take another hiatus from theaters until 2023's Evil Dead Rise.
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