Sam Raimi pondering three options for continuing Evil Dead franchise

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

When the Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead came to an end, Bruce Campbell said he was retiring from the role of Ash Williams, the horror hero he had been playing for almost 40 years at that point, through three feature films and three seasons of that show. The EVIL DEAD franchise would continue in some form, but not with Campbell as Ash.

Speaking with William Bibbiani of Bloody-Disgusting, EVIL DEAD creator Sam Raimi confirmed that he has been having conversations with Campbell and producer Rob Tapert about where the franchise could go in the future.

We’d like to make another EVIL DEAD feature and in fact we’re working on some ideas right now.”

Don't let the fact that Campbell is involved with these conversations get your hopes up about him returning to the role of Ash after all, because Campbell is co-owner of the rights to the franchise with Raimi and Tapert… But Raimi admitted that he 

would be thrilled if Bruce Campbell changed his mind about retirement, would come back for the original EVIL DEAD (storyline)."

If Campbell sticks to his guns and refuses to play Ash, Raimi said he would be happy to work with director Fede Alvarez on a sequel to his 2013 EVIL DEAD reboot, which he told Bloody-Disgusting he feels was set in the same universe as the other EVIL DEAD films and Ash vs. Evil Dead. So yes, it would be possible for Ash and Jane Levy's Mia to cross paths, although it doesn't seem likely to happen. Raimi also doesn't seem very sure that Alvarez would even want to make an EVIL DEAD sequel at this point, because he's a succesful "artist in demand" now.

So if there's no more Ash and no Alvarez sequel, where does that leave us? There's a third option that the rights holders have been discussing, but Raimi wasn't sharing any details on that one. All he would say is, 

I think you may see some action on the EVIL DEAD movie in the next six months."

We'll definitely be keeping an eye out for EVIL DEAD news over the next six months. I'm anxious to see what's going to happen next.

In the meantime, the Raimi-produced "nature run amok" horror film CRAWL, directed by Alexandre Aja, will be reaching theatres this Friday, July 12th.