Evil Dead TV Reboot Cast Announcement
Ashley “Ash” Williams will be returning to kick undead ass on our screens once more in late 2015. The show, titled Ash Vs. Evil Dead, will feature Bruce Campell’s return to Deadite-slaying. Sam Raimi is set to direct the first episode, which will be filming in New Zealand this spring.
Here’s what we know so far: The show will revolve around an aging Ash who “has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead” but must once again pick up his boom-stick to fight a new plague of the undead that threatens humanity.
Sam Raimi, who directed the original Evil Dead movies and produced the 2013 remake, is slated to direct the first episode. He also lent his writing talents to the show, along with Ivan Raimi, Craig DiGregorio, and Tom Spezialy. Actors Ray Santiago and Dana DeLorenzo will be joining our smarmy hero in saving the world.
A press release from STARZ gives us a small nugget of insight into these new character’s lives:
“Pablo Simon Bolivar is an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick—a Sancho Panza to Ash’s Don Quixote. Pablo believes in Ash’s heroism even if Ash himself doesn’t. Kelly Maxwell is a moody wild child trying to outrun her past. Reluctantly dragged into the fight against evil with Ash and Pablo, Kelly finds a different kind of family with her fellow Deadite slayers.”
Santiago is known for his work on In Time (2011), Meet the Fockers (2004), and Girlfight (2000), while DeLorenzo’s credits include A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), Rain: A Love Story? (2008), and The Mad Ones.
The release continues to tell us that:
“Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter… When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons–personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its ‘Evil’ grip”.
Groovy.
While Campbell and Raimi have both expressed enthusiasm at the return to the world of Evil Dead, fans of the epic saga have shown mixed reaction. On one side, we’ve never seen a truly great movie-to-tv adaption in the horror genre. Regardless, the idea of following Ash in new adventures after so much time is pretty damn exciting. The Evil Dead movies have never been known for amazing acting (aside from Campell), so I’m curious to see whether we’ll be treated to an over-the-top cheesy story, or something more in line with 2013’s Evil Dead squirm inducing remake. In my opinion, the gags and terri-bad status of the original movies are a huge part of the charm. The remake gave us none of that; if the show continues in a similar vein, it won’t be going far. With original horror titles like The Walking Dead, Hannibal, and American Horror Story to compete with, I’m curious to see how this revival will turn out.
