The classic horror film franchise The Evil Dead is the latest movie series to be turned into a TV show. It will be called Ash Vs. Evil Dead, available through Starz, and directed by the venerable Sam Raimi.
In the original Evil Dead movie, Ash, played by Bruce Campbell, visits a cabin in the woods (what else?) with his friends where they happen upon some demons, unknowingly release them, and living possessions ensue. In this new series, Campbell will return to fill the lead role as Ash, as the show follows the resurgence of a Deadite plague 30 years later.
The story behind The Evil Dead is a fascinating one. As friends living in Detroit back in 1979, Campbell, Raimi, and Rob Tapert joined forces to raise $350,000 (a lot of money at the time!) to create a low-budget horror flick. It took four years, but upon its release, The Evil Dead managed to knock The Shining off the top of the list to become the best-selling video in 1983 in England. When Stephen King calls your horror movie “the most ferociously original horror film of the year,” you know you’re on to something good. And they were. The Evil Dead was followed by two more resurrections, if you will, to complete the trilogy that has since become a cult classic. The horror flick has also spawned a number of video games and comic books. A recent reboot grossed a massive $97 million worldwide.
Clearly, we haven’t quite had our fill of the evil dead. And considering we’re in the midst of zombie and vampire mania with the popularity of shows like The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead, it’s a great time to resurrect this hit in a television format that allows for telling a much more compelling, in-depth story.
Raimi, best known for directing the popular Spider-Man trilogy, has signed on to direct the first episode of the show, and will serve as executive producer along with Tapert, who, among other projects, is known for having executive produced the popular show Xena: Warrior Princess, and Campbell. Ivan Raimi will co-executive produce and Aaron Lam (“Spartacus”) will serve as producer.
Excited yet? You’ll have to contain the excitement for a little bit longer, as the series will air on Starz some time next year.
