Movies
‘Evil Dead Rise’: A Timeline of The Film 30 Years in The Making
It’s time for the Evil Dead to rise once more, as the return of the Necronomicon promises a brutal, bloody show.
We’ve been excited to see this movie since it was first announced. Quite understandably so, as it’s poised to be one of the best horror movies of 2023 (which is saying something when you consider all of the scary movies on the horizon this year). The Evil Dead Rise trailer only confirmed what we’d suspected; this movie looks incredible.
Need a primer on all things Evil Dead? Then head over to our Deadites 101 article here!
It premiered at SXSW on March 15th to stellar acclaim from critics everywhere. Amidst all the appreciation and accolades, it’s necessary to revisit the hoops and bounds this film traversed to become possible.
The Long Road to Evil Dead IV
Fans had been pining for more Evil Dead content since Army of Darkness in 1992. Since it was not a box office success, Sam Raimi had difficulty procuring funding to make a sequel. The problem in creating a sequel was heightened by the fact that the director ran into a legal battle with Universal Studios over the rights to the film.
Into the millennium, Freddy vs. Jason fans may remember the rumors circulating that a sequel was planned; this time, it would be Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. Though there was a comic book series with this name, the movie seemed destined never to happen.
It was unfortunate because, due to the insistence of Jason Goes to Hell director Adam Marcus, Jason Voorhees is a Deadite. Therefore, bringing Ash into the equation makes sense if you take the Deadite sideline as canon (I don’t, for the record, but our Editor-In-Chief does, so that’s all a discussion for perhaps another day.)
Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead IV Dreams
In 2009, news broke of a potential Evil Dead IV directed by Sam Raimi, co-written by brothers Ivan and Sam Raimi. Though this film seemingly disappeared into the ether, horror fans shouldn’t give up hope for a Sam Raimi-directed Evil Dead film, as Bruce Campbell recently went on record with Fangoria to say that if Sam Raimi directs another Evil Dead movie, he’ll come back as Ash. Though he has not indicated this will happen, Fangoria shared that Sam Raimi is interested in directing another horror movie. Maybe Sam Raimi will find this commitment inspirational? Fingers crossed.
In 2013, we finally received a new Evil Dead film. The Evil Dead requel, directed by Fede Alvarez, was a creepy watch, though its re-imaginative nature deemed it not considered Evil Dead canon. He was set to reprise the directorial seat for Evil Dead 2 but instead chose to direct Don’t Breathe. Thus, the film was relocated to the void until further notice. It began to crawl back out again with the premiere of a horror series and the return of Bruce Campbell.
Ash vs. Evil Dead
In 2015, Deadites everywhere, who knew, rejoiced as Ash vs. Evil Dead aired as a Starz Original series. It has an astounding 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and was beloved by fans of the franchise. However, creators sensed the end was coming prematurely, as Bruce Campbell said in an interview with Collider, “We knew the ratings were bad after the end of the second season. We just knew it. No one knew what Starz was.” After the third season, it was canceled.
An interview with the actor two years later would be much more positive.
The Evil Dead Sequel Confirmed
A 2020 interview with Empire would have Bruce Campbell reveal that a new Evil Dead movie was rising. He shared that Lee Cronin would be taking over as director, and Bruce Campbell would not be appearing in it, though he would be working behind the scenes in production. (Since the film’s release, Lee Cronin has said that there is a glimpse of Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead Rise and that he’ll give fifty dollars to the first person to spot him.)
By the Spring of 2021, Evil Dead Rise was announced as a straight-to-streaming release by HBO Max.
Evil Dead Rise on HBO Max
The hype grew over the following year, with a promo poster circulating online. However, as the summer of 2022 neared its end, anxiety over whether the film would be released grew. The release date had yet to be confirmed, and HBO Max had abruptly canceled other Warner Bros collaborations, Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt despite production being almost complete.
There was additional worry surrounding the film’s fate, as there were rumors that the film would release theatrically after test screenings went remarkably well. It was debatable how executives at HBO Max may feel if they lost the right to premiere the movie exclusively.
Lee Cronin tweeted for horror fans to “Keep the faith,” while other horror fans came through with the plan if it did end up slain along with the other productions.
Finally, at the end of August 2022, the much-awaited news was announced—Evil Dead Rise releases on April 21st, but in theaters instead of on streaming.
What to Expect from Evil Dead Rise
A decade after the last Evil Dead film was released, Evil Dead Rise is finally here. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell worked as executive producers, with Robert Tapert producing; the original trio worked together to make the first three Evil Dead films possible. Digital effects were used sparingly; even the wall-crawling scenes are the real deal. Evil Dead is back.
Lee Cronin shared in a SlashFilm interview that he used 6500 liters of blood (or approximately 1,717 gallons) to make Evil Dead Rise. For comparison, Stanley Kubrick used about 300 gallons of blood to make the elevator blood waterfall scene in The Shining. In fact, the film used so much blood that they had to utilize an industrial kitchen to make it all.
Evil Dead Rise Cast and New Elements
Evil Dead Rise stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, and Gabrielle Echols. One significant difference between this release and the many appearances of Evil Dead that have preceded it is the incorporation of children as main characters into the franchise.
Following a single mother’s exposure to the evil book during a reunion with her sister in her high-rise New York City apartment building, a prominent cast member (Nell Fisher) is only ten years old- a first for an Evil Dead movie.
In an interview with Fangoria, Bruce Campbell said: “We wanted to show audiences the next generation of Evil Dead, which is way more horrifying now. I mean, the shit that you can do and the tricks that you can play now? This audience is doomed!”
Why Evil Dead Rise Tops 2023 Horror Movies
With outstanding reviews, Evil Dead Rise looks to rank high amongst top contenders for the best horror movie of 2023. I doubt we will need to wait another decade for another installment in the franchise after the success of this film’s debut.
Watch Evil Dead Rise yourself in theaters on April 21st, 2023! Expect it to release to HBO Max sometime later.
Halloween season is over, and many streamers have forgotten about us horror kids. While they take their 11-month hiatus from the genre, we can be grateful that we still have an app that cares. We are so lucky that Shudder remains that girl year-round. Whether you’re finishing their new original show Guts & Glory, catching up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, or running at some of their deep cuts like I am, Shudder has your best interests at heart. As usual, she has quite a few titles fighting for our attention. Which is why I am here with five titles I think should be at the top of all of our watch lists this November. So, cancel your holiday plans and pick up your remote because we have got horrifying things to watch.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Habit (1995)
An alcoholic unwittingly enters into a relationship with a succubus in New York City. If you ever wondered what Larry Fessenden was getting up to in his youth, you need to see this ’90s gem. I lucked out and caught it at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year, and I lived my best life. While watching it on the small screen will not be the same, I plan to hit play anyway. Mostly because I love to see 1990s succubi leaving their mark on men…and also the horror genre. Shudder is also adding The Last Winter and Depraved, so we can spend a whole day with Uncle Larry’s work.
Sew Torn (2024)
A seamstress happens upon a failed drug deal and steals a briefcase. She soon finds herself caught in a deadly situation where all roads lead to death. I caught Sew Torn at SXSW last year and have been wondering what happened to it. So, I am very happy this odd little bird has found her way to Shudder. I cannot wait to make my friends who are looking for something cute and deadly watch. I knew nothing when I hit play on this, and I encourage you to know as little as possible, too. I fear I have already written too much in this blurb to be completely honest.
You can watch Sew Torn on November 1st.
The Retreat (2021)
A couple goes on a pre-wedding retreat and unwittingly becomes targets of a group of serial killers. We have seen too many movies about retreats, and I thought this one would be more of the same. This title does not completely reinvent the wheel, but it does set itself apart within this oversaturated subgenre. The Retreat is a surprisingly fun and tense little thriller that feels made for the winter watches. Come for the lesbian characters leading the film, and stay for the violence. I also encourage you to check it out while it is on Shudder, because it is usually on apps with ads.
You can watch The Retreat on November 1st.
The Creep Tapes (Season 2)
Peachfuzz returns with more tapes, chaos, kills, and WTF moments. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have reentered the TV arena and are making things weird again. If award shows were real, this duo would be leading the Emmys charge. I saw the first three episodes, and Josef/Peachfuzz is still the serial killer after our own hearts. Our Wolfie is still cutting up (literally and figuratively) in the most amazing ways. Guest stars in danger this season include David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Katie Aselton (The League), and Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House).
You can watch The Creep Tapes (Season 2) on November 14th.
Krampus (2015)
A kid accidentally summons demons during the holidays in this horror comedy. Krampus remains one of the top-tier Christmas horror titles for me. It is also my favorite Michael Dougherty film. Not only because it has the star power of Adam Scott and Toni Collette, either. This movie is wicked, and even the kids are in danger. I do not have many holiday horror movies I revisit every year, but Krampus is one of the very few. It still holds up, and I cannot wait to rewatch it with a festively boozy beverage.
You can watch Krampus on November 15th.
Those are a few reasons I am grateful for Shudder this holiday season. While the rest of you are fighting with your family and friends, I will be parked in front of my TV. You can have your turkey because I would rather gorge myself on episodes of The Creep Tapes anyway.
Let me know what Shudder shenanigans you have got your little eye on. I am nosy and want to make sure I am not missing anything on my favorite streamer.
The year is winding down, and I don’t know about you, but I am trying to pack in as many 2025 horror movies as I can. Is this because I love making end-of-the-year lists? Yes. Is it because I am an unhealed overachiever? Also, yes. So, I am assuming some of you are also cruising the streamers to see what you may have missed. While Netflix has had my favorite new slasher Heart Eyes for a bit, and I have mentioned that in previous streaming guides, they also have other new horror titles to show you.
I do not talk about them as much because I did not have a good time with them. However, that does not mean you won’t enjoy some of these titles. That’s why I am taking the high road and finding something to be grateful for about each of them. That way, you will know there is a silver lining if you do watch them. Allow me to help you figure out what to prioritize this month and what to skip. Check out this chaotic Netflix hitlist below!
The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month
28 Years Later (2025)
A group of survivors on a small island has built a fortress to protect them from the rage virus. However, a young boy discovers what is really outside the walls of their community and sets off to find a cure for his sick mother. We all loved 28 Days Later, and some of us liked 28 Weeks Later. So, 28 Years Later was never going to live up to the hype with almost thirty years of anticipation. While I didn’t love it, I did enjoy seeing Danny Boyle helm another zombie installment. What he does in the subgenre is top-tier, and we are welcome (even if the script left me wanting more). That might have gotten buried in all the talk about the dicks seen in the movie, though.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
A group of girls competing for prom queen starts disappearing, leaving the underdog to figure out what is happening to her competition. I had a lot of thoughts about this lackluster installment in Netflix’s Fear Street adaptations. As someone who grew up reading Fear Street books and wanting to adapt them myself, I do not understand how this movie came out so badly. Which made it hard to find something nice to say about this title. However, the soundtrack slaps, and it is not the soundtrack’s fault that it was wasted on a low-energy bottom-tier slasher. So, if you hit play on this, you can at least look forward to hearing some retro bangers selected by music supervisor Nora Felder. If you are familiar with her work on Yellowjackets and Stranger Things, you know Felder does not miss.
Maa (2025)
To battle a demon’s curse, a mother transforms into the legendary goddess Kali. As usual, Netflix did not advertise an international horror movie that seemed to have some potential. If they had told us Maa was an Indian Hindi-language mythological horror movie, most people who yell for intersectionality and originality would have run at it. Instead, we had to find out about it months later while looking for something we hadn’t already seen on the app. This movie is too long, and I cannot say it is good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it also made me realize how little I know about the goddess of destruction. If you are a nerd like me, this might lead you down a cool rabbit hole. You can also say you gave a view to a horror movie starring Brown people. Who knows, maybe you could be one of the few who enjoy this chaotic film.
Until Dawn (2025)
A group of friends find themselves trapped in a time loop where they keep getting killed in gruesome ways. I love the video game and was so bummed this adaptation was so bad. However, the practical effects are very cool and should be celebrated more. I think the stuff that the SFX team pulled off might be the only reason to watch the movie personally. I’m happy the actors whose work I enjoy got paid, and that’s another positive thing I can say. However, if we want to see young people in deadly time loops, we have so many movies that do it better. Excuse me as I look right at Happy Death Day and all of the movies that have tried to copy her.
Ziam (2025)
A Muay Thai fighter battles through a zombie apocalypse to save the woman he loves. Netflix fumbled the advertising for this one too, because who doesn’t want to see a Thai zombie film? So, I was excited to watch it, but then sad I did not like it. However, I think this one is on me. It is an action-horror with a lot of heartfelt moments, and that’s not my bag. I wanted more violence and zombie action because I am a broken and heartless ghoul. So, Ziam might be the only movie on this list that does not deserve my bombastic side eye. I am waiting for other people to watch it and let me know if they have a better time with it, though.
While I was not the audience for these movies, I am assuming some of you will dig them. Worst-case scenario, you cross off a few more 2025 horror movies and have something to talk about at Friendsgiving. Happy Horrordays! I will see myself out now…
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