Evil Dead Rise Image Reveals New Location & Story Details (2024)

Evil Dead Rise writer and director Lee Cronin shares additional details surrounding the film's setting and story, and a new image shows off one significant location. Sam Raimi's long-running horror franchise is set to return to the big screen once more with Cronin's upcoming installment, which was originally slated to release on HBO Max. Evil Dead Rise is set to move the story to LA, where Beth (Lily Sullivan) visits her sister, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), who is raising her kids in a cramped apartment. When they discover a mysterious book hidden in the depths of the apartment building, an army of demonic creatures is unleashed, forcing Beth into a bloody fight for survival.

In the new issue of Total Film (via GamesRadar), Cronin reveals more details surrounding Evil Dead Rise's new LA location, teasing how the franchise's unique tone will evolve in the film's more urban setting. The writer and director also explains how the movie connects with previous installments, and a new image shows off what appears to be a demonic possession (possibly Beth's) in a lake setting. Check out Cronin's full comment and the new image below:

"There’s no Ash in this story and there’s no cabin in the woods, and they’re two iconic elements of what Evil Dead is. But the movie does include the book and an extraordinary amount of vicious, malevolent Deadites, so I was always pretty comfortable making that move [to LA].

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"It still needed to maintain some of the claustrophobia and that translated really well from the cabin into an urban environment. This is about a family in a rundown building stuck in their apartment, so it follows the same rhythm but puts it in a more contemporary space.

"It’s firmly in the universe. There’s a lot of fun callbacks, and there are direct lines to the past. But part of the goal of making this movie was to create something that could expand the Evil Dead universe further."

Related: How Evil Dead 2 Secretly Started The Requel Trend In The '80s

How Evil Dead Rise Can Breathe New Life Into The Franchise

Raimi's first movie in the franchise, The Evil Dead, was released in 1981, and it was followed by a sequel in 1987 and then another in 1992. Then, in 2013, Fede Alvarez directed a soft reboot that, while earning somewhat positive reviews and recovering several times its small budget at the box office, failed to kickstart a new series of films for Raimi's iconic franchise. Although 2013's Evil Dead soft reboot featured an abundance of gore, some great scares, and even some of the franchise's unique humor, it ultimately didn't do enough to totally differentiate itself from the entries that came before it, especially since it took place at a rickety cabin in the woods.

Despite how integral the cabin in the woods has been to the previous movies, abandoning the location in favor of a new setting could see Evil Dead Rise affirm that the franchise can successfully move beyond what came before it. If Cronin's upcoming film is a hit, it could open up exciting new possibilities regarding how the world of Evil Dead can continue to evolve and grow. Much like the Paranormal Activity movies, Rec, and other horror franchises, being able to successfully transport stories to other settings with new types of characters is ultimately key to the longevity of a particular premise.

It remains to be seen how Evil Dead Rise will fare with audiences and critics upon its release next year, but the fact that the film was given a theatrical release date after previously being announced as an HBO Max exclusive could indicate that the movie is shaping up to be better than anticipated. If it ends up being a hit, there's a chance that the story of Beth and Ellie will continue in a sequel, or that another movie in Raimi's twisted horror universe will get the green light. With Evil Dead Rise expected to release in April of next year, it hopefully won't be long before an official trailer is released, teasing more of what's to come.

More: The Evil Dead Timeline Explained

Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar)