The Return of 'The
Evil Dead' (Feb.05) by Robg.
After all these years, could this finally be the time for a huge return
of 'The Evil Dead'? It appears so.
| A few
months back, Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert had announced
that their Ghosthouse Productions company would be
producing a remake of their cult classic film 'The Evil Dead'.
The news was recieved with mixed feelings amongst fans, as we have
been clamoring for another Bruce Campbell outting against
the Evil Dead for years now, and with a remake in the works,
it's very unlikely that he'd return unless in a cameo role. This
also shot down all the rumors of a 'Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash'
movie. Apperantly, Sam Raimi had other things in mind for
the character of Ash and held off on committing to that monster
mashup. (In all honesty, it's probably for the best.) |
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Back
in December of 2004, we had asked the original ladies of the Evil
Dead to comment on their thoughts of an Evil Dead remake,
and they told Icons Of Fright,
"Well, the boys are finally listening to us and the fans!!!
We have tried and tried to convince Sam, Bruce, and Rob for years
to try and attempt to make a horror film as good as 'The Evil Dead',
you know, a remake, a repeat, a reprise of... one of the world's
greatest horror films of all time." |
| Since
the initial announcment, things have been quiet, up until last weeks
press junkets for 'Boogeyman'. While the remake is still
searching for a director to the 'Evil Dead' remake, word
came out that filmmaker Dante Tomaselli, writer/director
of 'Desecration', 'HORROR' & the upcoming 'Satan's
Playground' would really like to give it a shot. "I saw
the original EVIL DEAD in 1981 when I was 11, and it seriously
changed my life." he told Fangoria.
"It opened me up to how limitless, creatively, a low-budget
horror movie could be. The film is like a magic trick or an out-of-body-experience,
and every time I watch it, I am treated to the most spectacular
horror movie in existence!" |
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Dante
definitely has our vote considering he knows and genuienly loves
the original source material. And he even has the confidence &
support of the original Evil Dead's Ellen Sandweiss, who
will also appear in Dante's 'Satan's Playground'. She says,
"I'd love to see Dante Tomaselli direct an EVIL
DEAD remake. Working with him on SATAN'S PLAYGROUND
was a wonderful experience, plus his vision as a director and
his lifelong devotion to horror make him an ideal candidate. Are
you listening, Rob and Sam? My vote is for Dante."
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The big rumor at the moment is that Sam would really like director Park
Chan-Wook (Old Boy) to re-envision 'The Evil Dead'.
After all, importing Japanese horror seems to be big these days. Ghosthouse
Productions has already converted 'Ju-On' into last year's
hit 'The Grudge' with Sarah Michelle Gellar. (Psst... that
was rated PG-13.)
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Another
big issue among fans is... who will be the new Ash!? Rumors have
been circluated for weeks now for Justin Theroux (last
seen in Mulholland Drive). And another odd rumor was that American
Pie's Stifler, Sean William Scott had already been cast.
Bloody
Disgusting were able to shed some light into
the matter with last week's interview. When asked about Sean
William Scott, Sam & Rob told Bloody
Disgusting"Who
is that? I don't think I've ever heard of him".
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Oddly enough, this
rumor was started by a sometime contributor to our very own site here,
Jay Alvino. "I was just watching 'The Rundown' and I think
he's hilarious and he's good at psychical stuff. I just think he'd be
a cool Ash, so I went on a few message boards to say so. And now, Sam
& Rob are commenting on it, which I think is even more hilarious."
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Well,
along with dispelling that casting rumor (although they didn't
deny him as a potential cast member), Bloody
Disgusting's interview
revealed some news that the fans have waited to hear for so long.
There WILL be an 'Evil Dead 4'. Sam tells Bloody
Disgusting, "There
will be an Evil Dead 4, and there will ALSO be an Evil
Dead Remake. The remake will be produced by Ghost House
pictures and it will star a new cast and a completely new
director. The point of Ghost House is that we want to bring
new directors to Hollywood and give them a chance to make a good
horror film. I love the original 'Dawn of the Dead', and
I also really enjoyed the new 'Dawn of the Dead'. I mean,
they are both really great horror films. I want to let somebody
with a fresh vision bring The Evil Dead to a new generation
and a new audience with a different vision." The interview
also confirms that the Evil Dead remake will actually feature elements
from both Evil Dead 1 and Evil Dead 2. Raimi himself will be directing
'Evil Dead 4' with Bruce Campbell returning as Ash.
Raimi added "This is the project I really want to make. The
remake can belong to someone else, but part 4 will be a continuation
of the original". |
| Sam
and Robert also spoke to Coming
Soon.net and told them that their 'Evil Dead
4' might have to go by the title of 'Army Of Darkness 2'!?!
Rob Tapert told them, "You might have to call it 'Army of
Darkness 2' oddly enough because only the fans really knew that
that was Evil Dead 3. Even the people at Universal Home Video
called us up one time and said, "We want to do a direct to
video Army of Darkness 2 because that's a really good title."
We said, "No, that's really Evil Dead 3." They
said, "Oh, well, we don't care about that Evil Dead
stuff but the Army of Darkness was really good." They're
totally confused". |
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Now here's another spin on what was previously reported. In the coming
soon interview, they debunked ALL the Ash rumors and said the character
of Ash will only belong & be played by Bruce Campbell. "The
only thing that Bruce has asked is that nobody is called Ash. He wants
to sit on that name".
So, what are the fact's so far?
Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert will be producing an Evil
Dead remake through their Ghosthouse Productions company.
It will feature an all new cast & new characters, and it will combine
elements of both 'The Evil Dead' and 'Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn'.
No director is set as of yet, but rumors point to either Japanese filmmaker
Park
Chan-Wook or
independant filmmaker Dante Tomaselli.
Sam Raimi will also direct a sequel to his Evil Dead trilogy,
'Evil Dead 4'. Although it may go under the title of 'Army Of
Darkness 2'. (It might be odd if both 'The Evil Dead' and 'Evil
Dead 4' were out around the same time.) Bruce Campbell will
return with a fistfull of boomstick as the one and only Ash.
And now, the waiting game begins.
But who knows? Before you know it, you'll all be in theaters hearing the
threats to "shallow your souls!!!" -robg.
UPDATE: 5/24/05 - This
isn't new news, but it's cool regardless. Mile High Comics The Beat
spoke with Bruce Campbell a few weeks back on the status of 'Evil
Dead 4', the remake and 'Bubba Ho-Tep 2'. Here's some quotes:
On the 'Evil Dead' remake: "We're going to do the remake and
none of us feel bad about it because it's our own remake. We're not getting
some 1970's TV show out of Aaron Spelling's file draw and making a movie.
This is our own movie. So we're gonna update it for a new generation with
new effects and tell a new story with a new cast. We'll be pulling the
strings from behind. And hopefully they'll like it. I don't know when
it will come about. It'll take a while to find a director and to write
it and get it all set but it's gonna be made."
On 'Evil Dead 4': "Everybody wants to make it. I do, Sam does,
Rob Tapert does, so that's not an issue. The only issue is that this guy
happens to have stumbled into a phenomenon. So until that dies down he
won't have time. And really... there's no more mystery. That's it. There's
nothing beyond that. It really is that simple. To tell the guy who made
Spider-man to stop so he can make Evil Dead 4... it doesn't compute."
On 'Bubba Ho-tep 2': "It's being actively pursued by two companies.
That will probably happen. Don't know when. There will be a bit of prequel
and bit of a sequel at the same time. There may be some parallel story
elements."
Read the entire interview at the comiccon
site.
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