Director Lee Cronin provided fans with context and a lot more insight into the new direction the story was taking in a recent interview with Total Film. The Irish writer-director Cronin is the mastermind behind The Hole In The Ground and was handpicked by executive producer Sam Raimi to help him bring to life the latest addition to the Evil Dead universe. The latest image from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema depicts a bloodied Beth wielding Ash’s legendary firearm with a frightened, wide-eyed expression. The shot offers little info on how Beth got her hands on the weapon, but it’s probably her best choice when it comes to handling the Deadites problem in the apartment. Speaking of which, that’s where most of the action will take place in this installment of the Evil Dead Rise franchise. The usual gory cabin in the woods setting is being replaced by an apartment in a high-rise building in the middle of Los Angeles, featuring the sisters, Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland). Beth’s reunion celebration with her family will be cut short by a Deadite invasion as they try to make their way out of the cramped building. The family has to try to work together and fend off the hoard in this blood-soaked nightmare. And there was a lot of it, with director Cronin claiming upwards of 6,500 liters of blood were used when filming had wrapped. Teaming up with a local industrial kitchen was his only choice that could supply his needs, and even the landlord couldn’t wrap his head around what he was seeing after each day of filming. Cronin couldn’t hold back his excitement about the fifth expansion of the series, claiming “it straps you onto a rocket that’s fueled by blood.” The audience can expect a lot of carnage with the usual balance of campy and fun gory horror that the Evil Dead franchise has managed to preserve throughout every installment of the series so far. Ash Williams won’t be featured in this edition, but Cronin has promised to honor the film’s past and make sure Bruce Campbell’s presence was felt despite a change of scenery. With Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher, and Morgan Davies rounding out the case alongside Sulivan and Sutherland, fans can expect a more energized and thrilling cast.
