EVIL DEAD RISE Stars Weren't Looking to Please Fans of the Original, but They Did Anyway
Evil Dead Rise has a pretty strong opening weekend at the box office and horror fans and fans of the franchise seem to be enjoying what the movie delivered. I’m a huge fan of the franchise, and I was extremely happy with the story and the bloody and grotesque direction of Lee Cronin. He really helped take the franchise to the next level and opened up the universe in a big horrific way.
During a recent interview with The New York Times, the film’s stars, Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan, opened up about the movie and revealed that pleasing fans of the original movie weren’t one of their big concerns. Sutherland shared:
"I don't think any of us were looking to try to please fans. Having been a people pleaser most of my life, it doesn't really work. But we have deep respect for the films that came before. Lily and I watched it again last night at a screening and we were laughing the whole way. My laughter at points was uncomfortable. But what Lee does so well is that he makes it OK for you to laugh."
Sullivan added, "Laughter is medicine and blood is God in this film." The whole creative team really did create something awesome with this movie, and I’m very excited about what the future of the franchise looks like. Sam Raimi is already preparing that future with an Evil Dead Bible that he’s creating, and they are looking at developing a new film every two to three years. As far as a sequel or prequel goes, Cronin shared his thoughts saying:
"I think everything's on the table at a point like this. My focus right now is finishing what's been an amazing promotional tour and whirlwind of getting to talk and share the process of making the movie and my opinions on it. And I think from there it's like, let's see how audiences really react to it. I definitely have got stories that I feel like I could tell inside this universe. But equally, I think as I've proven with this, I'm also a filmmaker with my own voice. I'm not there to necessarily serve a continuing narrative all the time and probably have made a movie for me in terms of my taste that's right at the edge, intensity-wise, because I think if I pushed it any further, it becomes something that isn't me or that I'd want to make."
He also shared his exciting idea for a prequel film:
"For me, actually what it was driven by is the idea that the force can't really be destroyed. So, even though there's someone adjacent to all the madness that has happened, that force can prevail and can kind of continue onwards. So, that's one pathway. There's also, there's a second storyline, a hundred years in the past that's shared in this. And that's also a storyline I've had boiling for what goes on behind that vinyl. You could go back in time. Then I've got one Priest versus a hundred Deadites. 'John Wick Evil Dead.'"
Then in regards to a sequel, he said:
"Also there's the 10 minutes later story for those that ... the lucky ones that maybe just about make it out alive. There's that place also. And then equally, what about when the authorities show up at this building and find the carnage that's there? And if you remember, there's still some seriously hardcore remnants left in that building that could have an impact on a whole new set of unsuspecting factors."
I’m incredibly excited about the future of the franchise! In the meantime, if you haven’t seen Evil Dead Rise yet, you should!